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k^i 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best  original 
copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this  copy  which 
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significantly  change  the  usual  method  of  filming  are 
checked  below. 


I   /I   Coloured  covers  / 


n 

n 
n 

n 

n 


u 


n 


Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged  / 
Couverture  endommag^e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
Couverture  restaur^e  et/ou  pellicul^e 

Cover  title  missing  /  Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps  /  Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)  / 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations  / 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material  / 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 

Only  edition  available  / 
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Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion  along 
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I'ombre  ou  de  la  distorsion  le  long  de  la  marge 
interieure. 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restorations  may  appear 
within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these  have  been 
omitted  from  filming  /  Use  peut  que  certaines  pages 
blanches  ajout^es  lors  d'une  restauration 
apparaissent  dans  le  texte,  mais,  lorsque  cela  etait 
possible,  ces  pages  n'ont  pas  ete  filmees. 

Additional  comments  / 
Commentaires  supplementaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire  qu'il  lui  a 
et6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details  de  cet  exem- 
plaire qui  sont  peut-6tre  uniques  du  point  de  vue  bibli- 
ographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier  une  image  reproduite, 
ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une  modification  dans  la  m6tho- 
de  normale  de  filmage  sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 

I     ]   Coloured  pages  /  Pages  de  couleur 

I I   Pages  damaged  /  Pages  endommag6es 

□   Pages  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
Pages  restaur^es  et/ou  pellicul^es 

0    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed  / 
Pages  d^color^es,  tachet^es  ou  piqu^es 

I      I   Pages  detached  /  Pages  d6tach6es 

|v/[   Showthrough  /  Transparence 

□   Quality  of  print  varies  / 
Qualit^  in^gale  de  {'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material  / 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl6mentaire 

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partiellement  obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une 
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obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 

Opposing  pages  with  varying  colouration  or 
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colorations  variables  ou  des  decolorations  sont 
filmees  deux  fois  afin  d'obtenir  la  meilleure  image 
possible. 


D 
D 


D 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below  / 

Ce  document  est  fiime  au  taux  de  reduction  indique  ci-dessous. 


lOx 


14x 


18x 


12x 


16x 


20x 


22x 


26x 


30x 


24x 


28x 


□ 

32x 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 


L'eiempjaire  filmA  fut  reproduit  grace  d  la 
ginArositA  de: 


National    Library  of  Canada 


bibliotheque  nationale  du  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
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Les  images  suivantes  ont  ix6  reproduiter  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nenetA  de  I'exemplaire  filmA.  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres* 
sion,  or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
pepier  est  imprimAe  sont  filmAs  en  commencant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniAre  page  qui  compone  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniire  pege  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  freme  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"). 
whichever  applies. 


Un  dee  symboles  suivants  apparaltra  sur  la 
derniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symboie  — ^-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE '.  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  retios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hend  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bonom.  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc..  peuvent  etre 
filmts  i  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  etre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  ctichA.  il  est  filmA  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  i  droite. 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imeges  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
itiustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TEST    CHART 

ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2i 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


I  ••  5 


I- 
1- 


ilM 
IB 

m 


1.4 


2.5 
2.2 

[2.0 
1.8 

1.6 


^     APPLIED  INA^GE 


'b':i3   Last    Mijin    Street 

Pochester.    New    York  14609        USA 

f^ie:    -.82  -  0300  -  Phone 

(^H.i    288  -   5989  -  Fa» 


•*     I  'I.  ■J-^re  - 


..*■•*'':'-">"  :  vi^i*lW»:0!r-jJ^s*4r; i^'f---.-. : 


•.,-jKr 


V 


THE  GREAT 
WHITE  NORTH 

kHELEN  S.WRIGHT 


hr>afi&^iK^t^i%t^u 


I«l 


\\^^*'  W.v 


"l  I.  ♦  \i^ 


Canada 


!n 


THE    fJKEAT    WIIITK    NORTir 


I 


THE   MACMII.I.AN  COMI'AW 

NFW   VOKK    ■     BOSTON    ■    (MtlM.I. 
ATLANTA   •    SAM   KHANIISCO 

MAC.MIIXAN  R   CO.  I.ivitei, 

U»Nl>C»N    •     noMII.^V    ■    tAl.ll-riA 

MKLIlOIKNi.: 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO    OK  CANAIU.  I.r,. 

TORONTO 


Copi/right  hy  Clinalinst,  Wimhinijlon,  J).C. 

CoMMANDKH     KoBKUT    KuWIX     I'KAHV,    I'.S.N'. 

Who  rc:ichc<i  the  Poh>  April  (1.  1!)()'.» 


J 


THE  (JREAT  WHITE  NORTH 


THE  STORY  OF 

POLAR  EXPLORATION 

FROM   TlIK   KARLIKST  TIMKS  To  THE 
DISCOVKRY    OF   THE    I'OLK 


BY 


HELEN   S.  WRIGHT 


"Ntia  gork 

THE   MACMILLAX   COMPANY 

1910 

All  rights  referred 


J  I". 


COPTRIOHT,    1910, 

By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.      Published  October, 


1910, 


Korinoab  ]9r(«s 

J.  S.  Cushlnfe'  to.  —  liiTH  i.k  &  Smith  Co. 

Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 


The  material  for  this  book  has  been  gathered  from  the 
rich  storehouse  of  Arctic  Literature.  The  chief  hibour 
of  its  composition  hiy  in  elimination  rather  than  construc- 
tion. The  great  field  I  have  endeavoured  to  present  can 
hardly  be  brought  with  justice  to  the  narrow  bounds  of 
a  single  cover,  but  I  have  conscientiously  endeavoured 
to  bring  to  the  reader's  mind  an  accurate  record  of  bril- 
liant deeds  that  go  to  make  the  history  of  the  far  North, 
and  have  let  the  explorers  themselves  tell  the  story  of  how 
these  deeds  have  been  accomplished. 

Between  the  lines  of  their  simple  language  describing 
stern  facts  or  desperate  realities,  one  reads  the  character 
and  temperament  of  the  adventurer ;  one  gathers  lessons 
of  patience,  self-sacrifice,  and  endurance  unsurpassed  in 
the  history  of  mankind,  and  perhaps  appreciates,  for  the 
first  time,  the  splendid  fibre  of  which  he  is  made.  Stripped 
of  the  conventions  and  luxuries  of  civilized  life,  he  plunges 
into  the  great  unknown  to  fight  a  relentless  war  against 
tlie  greatest  foes  to  his  existence,  — Cold,  Starvation,  and 
Death.  Though  he  may  fall  by  the  wayside  a  victim  to 
the  Cause,  or  crawl  home  on  hands  and  knees  over  the 
rough  fastnesses  of  the  frozen  wilderness,  famishing,  —  per- 
hai)s  dying,  —  the  record  of  his  work  lives  on  ;  the  fun- 
damental principles  of  great  character  do  not  perish,  but 
stand  through  the  centuries,  a  star  of  hope  to  the  weary 


VI 


PREFACE 


traveller  on  liis  pilirrimaire  alcnor  the  well-trodden  path- 
way of  everyday  life,  and  .stirs  the  layman  to  a  better 
eiKlurance  of  the  burdens  and  perplexities  of  the  conunon 
lot. 

It  is  with  pleasure   I   make   j^rateful  acknowledgment 
to  the  gentlemen  who  have  accorded   me  their  gracious 
permission   to   quote    from    their    works,    to    Connnander 
Jtobert   !•:.  I'eary,  to  Major-(ieneral    A.    W.    (Jreely,  and 
Sir  Allen   Young,   and   to  the   following  publishers  and 
others  who,  by  furnishing  material  or  giving  consent  to 
use  selected  matter,  or  by  kind  assistance  in  other  ways 
luive  made  my  work  possible:   The  American  Publishing 
Company,    JIartf.u-d,    Conn.,    for   selections    from    "Out- 
Lost  Explorers-;   D.  Appleton  .1-  C.mpany  for  selections 
from   Charles   Lanman's  "Farthest  North"   and   Payer's 
'•New  Lands  within   the  Arctic   Circle";    The   Century 
Company    f„r   selections    from    General    Greely's    article 
on  "The  Northwest  Passage";    to  Clinedinst.  Washing- 
ton,   D.C,    for   permission    to    reproduce    the    copyrio-ht 
portraits  of  Admirals  Schley  and  Melville,  General  (ireely 
and  Commander  Peary  ;   Constable  &  Company,  and  E.  \\ 
Dutton    &    Company,    Ltd.,    London,    for   permission    to 
reproduce  the  porti-ait  of  Amundsen  in  the  hitter's  work 
''  The  Northwest  Passage  "  :   Doubleday,  Page  .^-  Company 
for   selections    from    Commander    Peary's    "Nearest   the 
Pole,"  and  for  the  portrait  of  Anthony  Fiala  and  other 
illustrations  from  the  hitter's  work,  "  Fighting  tlie  Polar 
Ice"  ;  The  Encycloptedia  Hritannica  Company  for  a  selec- 
tion from  an  article  by  Alarkham  on  "  Polar  Regions " ; 
to  J.  Scott  Keltic,  Es(,.,  editor  of  the  Geoura pineal  Jour- 
nal  for  selections  from  that  journal;    Houghton;   Mifflin 
C..mpany  for  selections  from  "The  V..yage  of  the  Jean- 


PREFACE 


VU 


notte  "  and  Melville's  "  In  the  Lena  Delta  "  ;  Dodd,  Mead 
A:  (yunipany  tor  selections  from  the  Duke  of  Abruzzi's 
"On  the  Polar  Star";  Benjamin  IJ.  Hamilton,  Esq.,  for 
})erniission  to  reproduce  photographs  of  the  Peary  expe- 
dition of  1908  and  Commander  Peary's  map,  and  Mr. 
Hampton  and  the  Neio  York  Times  for  permission  to  quote 
Commander  Peary's  telegram  announcing  liis  discovery 
of  the  Pole;  the  editor  of  the  Illustrated  London  News 
for  permission  to  reproduce  the  portraits  of  Sir  Edward 
Helcher,  Captain  Nares,  and  Commander  Markham ; 
Little,  lirown  &  Company  for  selections  from  General 
Oreely's  "Handbook  of  Polar  Discoveries";  The  London 
Agency  for  Ordnance  ]\Laps  for  selections  from  Sir  Allen 
Young's  "  Pandora  Voyages  "  ;  Longmans,  Green  &  Com- 
})any  for  selections  from  Nansen's  "First  Crossing  of 
(ireenland"  and  Sverdrup's  "New  Land";  the  editor  of 
MeClure's  Mat/azine  for  a  selection  from  Mr.  Baldwin's 
article  on  "The  Baldwin-Ziegler  Arctic  Expedition," 
which  appeared  in  that  magazine  in  1901-19U2;  Albert 
Ojierti,  Esq.,  for  permission  to  reproduce  the  portraits 
of  VV.  H.  Gilder,  Lieutenant  Schwatka,  Colonel  Brainard, 
Captain  De  Long,  and  Lieutenant  Lockwood ;  C.  Kegan 
Paul  &  Company  for  a  selection  from  Markham's  "Great 
Frozen  Sea";  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons  for  a  selection  from 
Mr.  Alger's  article  on  "Roald  Amundsen,"  which  ap- 
peared in  Putnam's  Montldy ;  the  editor  of  the  American 
liecietv  of  Reviews  for  a  selection  from  Mr.  McGrath's 
article  on  "  Polar  Exploration,"  which  appeared  in  that 
magazine ;  Sampson,  Low,  Marston  &  Company,  London, 
for  a  selection  fnmi  "German  Arctic  Expeditions"; 
Ciiarles  Scribner's  Sons  for  a  selection  from  SchAvatka's 
"Search,"  Greely's  "Three  Years'  Arctic  Service,"  and 


vm 


PllEFACE 


Schley's  "  Rescue  of  Greely  "' ;  V.  A.  Stokes  Company  for 
l)ennissiou  to  reprotluce  illustiiitioiis  fioni  Coiumuuder 
IV"Hiy\s  work,  "  Tlie  Nortli  Pole,"  luul  for  tlie  loan  of 
photoo^raphs ;  and  to  the  same  company  for  selections 
from  Andree's  "  Halloon  Exjjedition  "  and  Peary's  "North- 
ward  over  the  Great  Ice." 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

PAoa 
Early  adventurers.  Py theas.  —  Dicuil.  —  Other.  — Wulfstan.  —  The 
Noreemen.  —  Iva  Bardsen.  —  The  Cabots.  —  The  Cortereals.  — 
Willoughby  and  Chancellor.  —  Steplien  Burrough. — Xiccolo 
Zeno.  —  Frobi-sher.  —  Pet  and  Jackman.  —  Sir  Humphrey  Gil- 
bert.—  Davis.  —  Barentz 1 

CHAPTER  II 

Seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries.  Hudson.  —  Baffin.  —  Desh- 
neff. —  Behring.  —  Schalaroff.  — Tchitschagof .  —  Aiijou  and  Von 
Wrangell,  —  Phipps 18 

CHAPTER  III 

Early  nineteenth  century.  Ross  and  Parry,  May  3,  1818.  Object 
of  voyage,  search  for  Northwest  Passage  through  Davis  Strait 
and  explore  bays  and  channels  described  by  Haffin.  —  Met  natives 
near  Melville  Bay.  — The  discovery  by  Ross  of  the  famous  Crim- 
son Cliffs.  — Enters  Lancaster  Sound.  —  Advance  barred  by  im- 
aginary Crocker  Mountains.  —  Return  of  expedition  to  England. 
—  Buchan  and  Franklin  North  Polar  expedition  via  Greenland 
and  Spitzbergen.  —  Dorothea  and  Trent  in  Magdalena  Bay,  June 
3,  1818.  —Reached  high  latitude  of  80^^  37'  N.  —Course  directed 
to  east  coast  of  Greenland.  —  Disastrous  battle  with  the  ice. — 
Dorothea  disabled.  —  Hasty  return  to  England  ....      29 

CHAPTER   IV 

1819-1827.  Parry's  first  voyage.  — Object,  to  survey  Lanca-ster 
Sound  and  prove  the  non-existence  of  Crocker  Mountains. — 
Discovery  of  new  lands  — Parry  Islands. — Attains  longitude 
110    W.,  thereby  winning  the  bounty  of  live  thousand  pounds 

iz 


coyrENrs 


offoro.l  l.y  I'arlianiont.  -  Wint.Ts  lu.ar  Molville  Islfvml.  Second 
voyiig...  —Ships  n,r/„  and  /•'»,•//.  —  Examines  Duke  of  York  Hay 
and  Frozen  Strait  of   MiddlHon.  _  Winters  off  Lyon  Inlet  _ 

Sie(l,-ejounieys._()lgVet.t..niakeN..rtliwe.stl'a.ssa-.MvVn'rinee 
Kenent  Inlet. -Hea.hed  Port  Bouen.  -  Ten  niontlis"  inM.rls- 
onuient.-  De.str.utionof  tl.e  F»n/.-lIasty  return  to  FnHand 
tonrtl,  Noyaf.e.-l',„-,,o.se  t,.  read,  the  I'oh^  via  Spitzhei-vn 
with  sled-e  l,oat.s  over  wv.  -  JLrIn  as  transport.  _  l-arr^v's 
farthest  8:.'   J.V  N.  reached,  June  2;5,  1827  . 


41 


ciiArTf:u  V 

Nineteenth  century  ru»tunml  Seoresbv  and  riavorin-  _ Former 
visited  Jan  Mayens  Island  in  1817.  -  Later  he  visited  ..ast  coast 
of  (.reenland.  — Di.scovered  Seoresby  Soiuid.  In  1824  Caj)- 
tain  Lyon  surveyed  Melville  I'enins.ila.  -  A.ljoinin-  straits 
an.l  shores  of  Ar.'tic  America.  -  In  18L'.-i,  Captain  Heechey  in 
the  Bl„s.,„a  .sailed  throu-h  Behrin-  Strait  and  pa.s.sed  beyond 
Icy  Cape.  —Surveyed  the  coast  as  far  as  Point  Barrow,  addin" 
i-M  miles  of  new  shore.  —  Se.ond  voya-e  of  Captain  John  Hos.s" 

—  rndertaken  in  182!t.  —  Discovers  Boothia.  —  Wintered  in 
Felix  Harbor. —  Discovery  of  North  Ma.-netic  Pole  by  nephew 
of  Captain  John  Boss.  —  Connnander  James  Clark  Boss. — 
Valuable  ob.servations.  _Sled;,'e  journeys  to  mainland.  —Four 
years  spent  in  the  Arctic.  —  Perilous  retreat.  —  Safe  return. 
I.and  journey  by  Captain  Back.  —The  Great  Fish-Back  Hiver.— 

—  I'oint  Offle.  —Point  Bichardson.  —Back's  farthest  point  was 
<!8M:i'  ,'-,7"  north  latitude.  i>4"  58'  1"  west  longitude.  Land  jour- 
neys of  Simpson  and  Dea.se,  18;J0.  —  Descend  the  Mackenzie 
Hiver  to  the  sea.  —  Surveyed  west  shore  between  Beturn  Beef 
and  Cape  Barrow.  —  In  183it,  they  explored  shores  of  Victoria 
Land  as  far  as  C-ipe  I-arry.  —  Cro.ssed  Coronation  Gulf.  —De- 
scended the  Coppern,..-«e.  —  Beached  the  Polar  Sea.  Overland 
journey  in  184«;  by  Dr.  John  Bae  confirmed  Captain  John  Boss's 
statement  that  Boothia  was  a  peninsula 


57 


CHAPTER   VI 


Sir  John  Franklin.  —  Early  life.  —  First  land  expedition  of  1810-1821. 
— Journey  from  York  Factory  to  Cumberland  IIou.se.  —  Beach 
Fort  Providence.  — Winter  at  Fort  Enterprise.  —Explorations. 


CONTENTS 


XI 


—  5550  miles.  —  Hardship.  —  Starvation.  —  Return.  Second 
land  journey.  — 182'>.  —  Winter  quarters  at  (ireat  Bear  Lake. 

—  Descent  of  the  Mackenzie  Kiver  to  the  Polar  Sea. —  l:i(JO 
inile.s  <:f  coast  atlded  to  map.  The  la.st  journey  of  Sir  John 
Franklin,  1845.  —The  Erchun and  Ttrrtn:  —  La.st  .>ieen  in  Mel- 
ville IJay 


79 


CHAPTER  VII 

Search  for  Sir  .John  Franklin.     Captain  Kellott.  —  Captain  Mooro. 

—  Dr.  Riehard-son.  —  Dr.  Rae.  —  Sir  .T.  C.  Ross.  —  Mr.  Parker. 

—  Dr.  Goodsir.  —  Collinson,  M'Clure.  —  The  Fi'lif.  —  I^inn- 
Alhi-rt.  —  Coininanded  by  Charles  C.  Forsyth.  —  ( 'aptain  Aus- 
tin's siiuadron. — Captain  Omnianry.  —  Lieutenant  Sherard 
Osborn.  — Commander  Cator.  — Grinnell  exi)editior.  under  De 
Haven 


95 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Search  for  Sir  .John  Franklin  continued.  Sledge  journey  of  Captain 
Austin's  squadron.  — Return  of  Prince  Albert  under  command 
of  Captain  Kennedy.  —  Bellot 120 

CHAPTER  IX 

Search  for  Sir  John  Franklin  continued.  Sir  Edward  Belcher's 
siiuadron.  —  Inslefield.  —  Hae"s  journey.  —  Discovery  of  North- 
west Passage  by  Captain  M'Clure.  —  Death  of  Bellot.        .        .     141 

CHAPTER   X 

Sledging  parties  of  Sir  Edward  Belcher'.s  .squadron. —  Desertion 
of  the  ships.  —  Return  to  England.  Story  of  the  Hesohtte.  — 
Traces  of  Sir  John  Franklin  discovered  by  Dr.  Rae.  —  Ander- 
son's journey.  — The  voyage  of  the  Fox  under  Commander 
M'Clintoek.  —  Sledge  journeys.  —  Record  and  relics  of  Frank- 
lin's expedition.  —  Fox  returns  to  England        .        .         .        .174 


CHAPTER   XI 

The  .second  Grinnell  expedition.     Commanded  by  Dr.  Elisha  K. 
Kane.  —  Winter  quarters    in    Rensselaer   Harbor.  —  Sledging 


Xll 


coy  IE  MS 


trips.  — To  the  rescup.—  Kffccts  of  fxliaustion  and  cold.  — Dr. 
KaneVs  joimify.  —  (Jixat  (ilacitr  of  Hiimbulill.  —  Koiurii  and 
illiicNs  of  Dr.  Kane.  Second  winter  in  tlie  ice.  —  I'rivatinns 
and  siifferin.i:.  —  Abandonment  of  the  .I'/w^rc.  —  Hctieat  and 


rescue 


mo 


CHAPTER    XII 

Dr.  Hayes's  expedition.  Winter  (luartcrs  at  Port  Foulke,  Greenland 
coa.st.  —  Death  of  Soinitai,'.  —  Dr.  Hayes's  journey. —Attempt 
to  cr.'j  Smith  Sound.  —Hayes's  fartliest.  — '-Ojx.n  Polar  Sea.*' 

—  Homeward  bound 

CHAPTER   XIII 

Charles  Franci.s  Hall.  — Early  life.  —  Interest  in  fate  of  Sir  John 
Franklin.  —  First  journey  to  Greenland.  —  Discovery  of  F^ro- 
bisher  relics.  —  K.xperieiues  and  study  of  the  Eskimo.s.  Sec- 
ond journey.  —  Delays  and  di.sapjjointinents.  —  Sled'cin-;  trips. 

—  King  William  Land  at  last.  —  Franklin  relics.  —  Ueturn  of 
Hall  to  United  States.  Polaris  expedition.  —  Reaclie.s  liijili 
northing.  —  Hall's  .sled-e  journey.  —  Ueturn  and  death.  —  Po- 
Inris  winters. —  No  e.scape.  —  Po?am  is  wrecked.  —  I'art  of 
crew  adrift  on  tlie  ice-tloe.  —  Remainder  build  winter  hut.— 
Final  re.scue  and  return  to  United  States 

CHAPTER   XIV 

Captain  Thomas  Long.  —  Discovery  of  Wrangell  Land.  —  Captain 
Carl.sen  and  Captain  Palliser  .sail  acro.ss  the  Sea  of  Kara. —Cap- 
tain Johanne.son  circumnavigates  Xova  Zemlila.  First  German 
expedition.  —Second  German  expedition.  —  6'cr»)a((/«.  Captain 
Koldewey  commanding.  —Ilnnm.  Captain  ITegemann.  —Depar- 
ture from  Bremen.  —  Crossing  the  Arctic  Circle.  —  Island  of  Jan 
Mayen.  —  The  ice  line.  —  Separation  from  the  Ilnnxn.—  MxMt 
on  the  ice-floe.  —  Winter.  —  Final  reacxie.  —  Gcrmnuin  beset. 
—  Winter.  —  Sledging  parties. —Lieutenant  Payer's  remark- 
able journey  — 77'  1'  north  latitude.  —Return  of  the  Germania 

CHAPTER   XV 

Norwegian  expedition.  1871.  Payer  and  Weyprecht.  —  The  Tcfictt- 
^ofT adrift  in  the  Polar  y^^o\!;.  —Discovery  of  Franz  Josef  Land.  — 


2:55 


243 


208 


n.1 


CONTENTS 


Xlll 


Payer's  sletlge  journeys.  —  Payer's  farthest  82  '>'  nortli  latitude. 
—  Cape  Fliyely.  —  Abaiulonment  of  ilu-  Tnji-lthi>xT.  —  Retreat  of 
olHcers  aud  crew.  —  Ticked  ui)  by  Itussiaii  fislienneii.  —  Home     28(i 

CHArTKI{    XVI 

Baron  A.  E.  von  Norden.skjiild.  —  First  voyage,  18.J8.  _  Aecom- 
irnnies  succeeding  Swedish  expeditions.  —  Spitzberi,'en. Voy- 
age of  Sitfln.  —  1H(;,S.  —  Nordenskjilld's  journey  to  Greenland. 

Voyage  of  tiic  I'liUnin. —  Attempt  to  reach  tlie  Pole  by  reindeer 

sledge. — UnexjJi'cteil  discouragements  and  disa.sters. Voyage 

of  the    /V(Hv«.  _  1H7'>.  —  Tlie  Kara  Sea.  —  Journey   repeated 

the  following  year.  —  In  the  Yunr.  —  Voyage  of  the  Vnja  .         .     298 

CHAPTKR   XVII 

British  expedition  of  1875.  The  Alert  and  Disvova-y.  — Captain 
George  S.  Nares,  F.  H.  S.,  Albert  H.  Markhani,  F.  1{.  G.  S.  — 
Two  voyages  of  the  randora,  1875-1870.  Schwatka's  search 
for  the  Franklin  records,  1878-1879 310 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

The  ,/c«Hnpf^f  expedition, 1879-1881.  In  command  of  Captain  George 
W.  DeLong. — Leaves  San  Francisco. — Touches  at  Ounalaska, 
Auirust  2.  — Reaches  Lawrence  Bay,  F^ast  Siberia,  August  15.  — 
Last  .seen  by  whale  bark  Sen  Breeze  near  Herald  Lsland,  Septem- 
ber 2.  —  Tiie  Jeannette  beset  in  ice-pack  Sejjtember  6,  never 
again  released.  —  Daily  routine  of  officers  and  crew. — Ship 
springs  a  leak.  —  A  frozen  summer.  —  Sight  of  new  land.  —  A 
second  winter  in  tlie  pack.  —  The  Jeannette  crushed. — Aban- 
donment. —  The  retreat.  — The  fate  of  the  three  boats.  —  Death 
of  De  Long's  party.  —  Melville's  search 


345 


CHAPTER   XIX 

International  circumpolar  stations.  —  Failure  of  Dutch  expedition. 
—  Greely  expedition  reaches  Lady  Franklin  Bay.  —  Life  at  Fort 
Conger.  — Sleilge  journey  of  Brainard  and  Lockwcod. — Farthest 
north.  — Greely's  journey  to  interior  of  Grinnell  Land.  —  Lake 
ilazen.  —  Failure  of  relief  .ship  Xeptunv  to  reach  Conger  in  1882. 


XIV 


CONTENTH 


—  nftirial  plans  for  Orpfly'a  relit-f  in  1H83.  — /Vo<e»M  crushed 
in  i.i.  _(iiirlin>;ton'H  r.  treat. —(ir.fly'H  abHrnionnient  of  Fort 
ConHfr.  —  (;reely  rcacli.-s  Cap.-  Sahine.  —  Tli«  bfninniii!;  of  a 
liar-l  winter. —Dcatli  of  nii'inluTs  uf  tin-  party  from  Ktarvatioii 
and  <()1.1.  _  Sclilcy's  Ixilliaiii  rescue  of  the  reinnant  of  the  Lady 
Franlilin  Hay  expedition  iti  1«H4 

CIIAPTKR   XX 

Nansen.  —  Tlie  man.  —  First  Arctic  experience.  —  Plans  the  crossing 
of  Greenland.  —  Carries  out  hi.s  «ruat  undertaking.  —  Voyage  ou 
the  Frmn.  —  DriftiiiLr  with  the  current.  —Life  aboard. —Nan- 
sen  and  Johannesen  .start  for  the  I'ule.  — Diflieulties  of  travel. 

—  The  "  Farthest  North  !"  —  Tlie  retreat.  —  A  winter  on  the 
Franz  Josef  Land.  —  Attempt  to  reach  .Si)itzl,ergen  by  kayak. 

—  The  meeting  at  ('ai)e  Fl(jra  with  Frederick  Jack.son.  —  Home 
la  the  Windward        .... 


P*0« 


a«o 


401 


CHAI'TKR   XXI 

Journeys  of  Dr.  A.  Bunge  and  Baron  K.  von  Toll.  Exploration  in 
Spitzber-en.  — Sir  Martin  Conway.  —  iJr.  A.  G.  Niithor.st.— 
Professor  J.  Il.tJore.  — Andree's  balloon  expedition  to  the  North 
Pole.  —  Search  for  Andr^e  by  Theodor  Lernor.— J.  Stadling. 
—  Dr.  A.  (;.  Nathorst.  — Captain  Bade.  —  Walter  Wellmau'.s 
plan  to  reach  the  Pole  from  Spitzbergen.  — Italian  expedition 
under  Duke  of  Abruzzi.  —  Loss  of  the  Stella  /''</«rp.  —  Captain 
Urabtrto  Cagni's  journey.  —  Break.s  the  record.  —  Retreat.  — 
Home.  -  Bald win-Ziegler  expedition  of  1900.  —  ( 'omplete  eqiiip- 
ment.  — Return  of  expedition  in  autumn. —  Ziegler  expedition 
under  Anthony  Fiala.  —  The  Aiwriva  reaches  high  northing.  — 
Winters  in  Triplitz  Bay.  —  Is  destroyed.  —  Failure  of  sledge 
journeys.  —  Relief  ship  does  not  come.  —.Second  winter.  —  Re- 
turn of  party  by  Term  Xuvn  in  100.3 


417 


CHAPTER   XXII 

Otto  Svenlnip.  _  Four  years'  voyage  of  tlie  Fraw.  — Tourneys  in 
Ellesinere  Land.  —  Important  exploration  of  Jones  Sound.  —Dis- 
covery of  new  lands.  —  Rel.'ase  of  the  Fruiii.  Captain  I{oald 
Aumndsen.  —The  voyage  of  the  Gjoa.  —  Reaches  head  of  p.jter- 


coNTEyrs 


XV 


sen  Bay  (Kins  Williiim  I-ai.ilj.  — Two  yr.irs' stay  —  Valuable 
scientific  iih.sL'rvalions.  —  Vi.sits  from  Kskiinos.  —  Sl.(i;:c  jour- 
neys. —  Kclcase  from  the  ice.  —  Aujiust  14,  I'.MM!.  _c,,mj, lotion 
of  the  Northwest  rasisasf.  —  Anoliier  Arctic  winter.  —  Slcdtic 
journey  of  Amun<lsen  to  Kanle  «'iiy.  —  I;. •lease  of  ilic  Gjoa.  — 
Reaches  San  Francisco,  1 1*07 


435 


CIlArTKK    XXIII 

Robert  E.  Peary. —The  man.  —  First  vi.sil  to  the  Arctic.  1W8(). — 
Other  journcy.s,  18!)1.— Imlfpcndencc  Hay,  (ireenlai.d.  —  Di.s- 
covers  Melville  hand  and  Ileilprin  Land.  —  SulKse(|iient  jniir- 
neys,  1803-18'.to.  —  Di.scovery  of  famous  "Iron  Mountain.'  — 
Summer  voyasjcs,  18!HU18i»7.  —North  I'ole  journey  of  iH'.is. — 
I'eary  seriou.sly  disabled  by  fro.sl-bite.s.  —  I'olar  e.xpedition  in 
S.S.  Jioosivrit,  l!K).-)-100«5.  — Final  diish  for  the  Tole,   liH^8       . 


455 


CHArTKH    XXIV 

Dr.  Frederick  .\.  rook.  — Claims  discovery  of  the  Pole.  —  His  refi  • 
from  the  Arctic.  —  Keceptiou  by  the  Dane.s.  —  Announce., 
of  conquest  of  the  Pole  by  Penry.— Denounces  Dr.  Cook. 
Acceptance  of  Peary's  claims  by  the  American  Geographical 
Society.  —  Dr.  Cook  sends  manu.script  to  Copenhagen.  —  Ver- 
dict.—Prior  claim  to  the  discovery  of  the  North  Pole. -Not 
proven  

Kxpi-ANATioN  OF  Terms 

Index         


470 

477 
481 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


roinmaiulfr  R()l)rrt  Edwin  IVary 

Iloiulius  hi8  Map  of  the  Arcliku  Pole,  ur  NuiUieiiie  World 


Sebastian  Cabot 

Sir  Htij;li  Willoughby 

Miirtiii  Frobislifr 

Sir  llumplircy  (Jilbert 

Davis's  Sliips  Suimhine  and  MomiiiMne 

The  Death  of  Henry  lludscin 

Peter  Feodorovitscii  An"   i 

Ferdinand  von  Wrangeli 

Captain  Jolm  Koss,  R.N.    . 

Enterinf;  Laiica.ster  Sound 

Joliii  Franltlin     . 

Upernavik  .... 

Henry  Grinnell  . 

Tlie  (Jraves  on  Beechey  Island 

E.  K.  Kane 

The  Hescue  in  Melville  Bay 

Landing  near  Grinnell  Cai* 

Nipped  in  the  Ice 

A  Gale  in  the  Arctic  Sea    . 

The  Outlook  from  Cape  George  Russell 

Humboldt  (ilacier 

I.  I.  Hayes 

Five  Members  of  the  Grinnell  Expedition 

Tennyson's  Monument 

Frobisher's  Map  of  Mcta  Incognita 

Funeral  of  Captain  Hall     . 

•Jan  Mayen  Island 

A.  E.  Nordenskjcild    . 

Foul  Bay    .... 

The  Vega  in  Konyam  Bay 

xvii 


FroHtispirre 

XX 

fAI.B 

3 

7 

10 
14 

17 

21 

28 

28 

32 

&2 

80 

99 

110 

113 

120 

128 

170 

180 

209 

215 

218 

224 

2:J1 

2.^4 

213 

2.->4 

273 

288 

305 

309 


XVIll 


LIST  OF  ILUSTUAriOSS 


The  Crow  of  tlie  Viga 

Disco  Islam  I        .... 

Lii'utciiiiiit  Frederick  Seliwalka,  U.S  A 

W.  II.  (Jilder 

rii|)tain  G.  \V.  De  Loni:,  i:.s.\.        \ 

Hear  Admiral  (ieorge  \\.  Melville,  U.S.N 

roloiul  David  Lc;;m,.  Hraiiiard,  U.S.A. 

Lietiiciiaiil  James  li.  Lockwood,  U.S.A. 

(ieiieral  A.  W.  (jreely,  U.S.A. 

Hear  Admiral  Schley,  U.S.X. 

The  Retreat  of  1004  —  Sledge  Column  leav 

lireakiii-  ramp  at  Cape  Ilichthope     . 

Aiillumy  Fiala    .... 

lioald  Amundsen 

Cape  Flora  in  Early  July,  I!»()4  . 

The  Coal  .Mine  at  Cape  Flora 

The  Itooserelt  dryiiii:  her  Sails  . 

Cairn  erected  over  the  Body  of  Marvin 

Camp  Morris  .lesup    .... 

The  Peary  Sledge        .... 

Christmas  Dinner  on  the  li,,„!<i'v,it 

The  Flag  that  I'eary  carried  to  tlie  Pole 

Map  of  Arctic  Explorations,  18oO-l<K)9 


ipe 


Mellin 


bock 


TACINO    IMllK 

.    ;3i« 

.  320 

.  337 

.  344 

.  352 

.  309 

.  373 

.  380 

.  384 

.  400 

.  433 

.  433 

.  437 

.  444 

.  448 

.  448 

.  456 

.  4(30 

.  402 

.  404 

.  404 

.  408 

.  474 


x.\ 


Q 
■-] 
OS 
O 
^ 
w 
Z 

t- 

O 

z 

O 
O 

Ol. 

< 

0) 
I 

b. 

o 

c 
<- 


5 
z 

o 


L 


THE   GREAT  WHITE   XORTH 

CHAPTER   I 

Early    advontur.T.s:     Pythoas.  —  Diouil.  _  Other.  —  Wulfstan  — 
Tlio  Xorscincii.  —  ha  Hardsell.  —  The  ('al)()ts.  —  The  Cortereals 
—  \Villou}rhl)y  and  Chaiieellor.  —  Stejjhen   Hurroui^h.  —  Xieeoh^ 
Zeiio.  -  !•-  ohLsher.  -  Pet  and  Jackman.  —  Sir   Humphrey  Gil- 
l)ert.  —  .    ivw.  —  Pareiitz. 

A  c;uAVK  old  world,  mtijo.-stically  .sAvinging  upon  it^  axis, 
the  iny.stery  of  \U  northern  e.xtn>niity  locked  clo.sely  within 
itrf  breast,  i.s  smhlenly  electrified  by  the  news  that  at  last 
man,  for  c(>nturies  baffled  in  his  heroic  efforts,  has  revealed 
Its  hidden  secret,  and  that  Old  Cdory,  symbol  of  the  darin- 
of  the  moderns,  floats  from  the  Pole  it.self. 

What  a  thrill  of  interest  pas.ses  over  the  nations  of  the 
earth;  universal  (>.\cit(>ment ;  universal  rejoicings.  Cable- 
gram, Marconigram.  rarry  the  wonderful  tidings  under  the 
seas  g:  around  the  world  in  sj)ac(\ 

The  Pole  at  la.i !  For  ages  the  northern  lights  have 
beckon(>d  the  adv(>nturous  spirits  to  fathom  the  phenomena 
of  the  great  unknown,  have  lured  man  into  harbours  fantastic 
with  th."  froz,>n  i,-e  of  <.enturies.  haw  inspin-d  him  to  cross 
the  (.ivenland  ice  cap  --„r  mak.>  his  lonelv  trail  through  the 
•barrens  of  X„rth  Anu'rica  or  the  desolate  "tundra"  of 
Siberia,  his  dauntl(>ss  courage  un(,uench<.d  by  previous  records 
of  i)nvati..n.  starvation,  and  d,.ath  itself.  One  after  another 
ot  intrepid  explorers  have  left  their  stories  of  thrilliii"-  a<l- 
y(>nture.  and  record  ,.f  their  names  or  those  of  tlieir  beae- 
iactors  to  nuirk  their  persoiml  discoveries 
"  1  ■ 


Till-:  cm: AT  wiiitk  yoinii 


Wlmt  !i  liistory,  wliat  siirr('riii<i,  what  sacrifice,  coinpciisatod 
by  Krcat  acliicvciiicnt.  l»y  heroism,  i)y  filory  —  liytiie  addi- 
tioJis  to  the  worlil's  iccord  of  scientific  l<iio\vl(Mliu;e! 

Wlio  were  the  early  mariners  that  aspired  to  penetrate  the 
unknown  seas  of  ice?  Far  i)ack  in  the  centuries,  Pytlieas, 
hold  adventurer,  brought  hack  rumours  of  an  island  in  the 
Arctic  Circle  called  Thule,  at  first  welcomed  i)y  the  ancients 
as  a  wonderful  discovery,  hut  afterwards  discredited.  In  the 
ninth  century  some  Irish  monks,  carried  away  by  reliiiious 
enthusiasm  and  an  adventurous  spii'jt,  seem  [.)  have  visited 
Iceland,  and  one,  Dicuil  hy  name,  left  written  evid(>nce,  ahout 
825,  confirmin,i>;  the  story  of  the  island  Thule,  which  some  of 
the  brethren  visited,  and  reported  there  was  no  darkness  at 
the  summer  solstice.  Other  and  Wulfstan,  at  hirst  for  dis- 
covery and  knowledf-v,  set  sa.il  in  the  r(i<!;n  (jf  Kina;  Alfred, 
and  in  all  i)rol)ahility  the  former  rv)unded  the  North  Capo 
and  visited  the  shores  of  Lai)laiid,  lhouj;h  his  exact  discoveries 
cannot  now  he  identified. 

The  hardy  Norsemen,  realizini--  the  advantage  of  hunting 
and  barter  amon<2,'  the  natives  of  ( Ireenland,  uiade  permanent 
settlements  at  Bratteli.l  and  I-anarsfjord.  As  far  as  73° 
north  latitude  a  cairn  was  found,  and  upon  a  runic  stone  was 
a  date  123,"),  and  there  is  evidence  that  other  settlers  reached 
as  far  as  latitude  7.")^  Ki'  N.  and  Bar'-ow  Strait  in  1200  or 
tlu>reabouts.  Toward  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  century 
Norway  was  curs(>d  with  the  Black  Death,  and  the  colonists 
in  far-off  (ireenland  were  fort-otten.  Forsak(>n  l)y  their  own 
countrymen,  they  received  little  assistance  from  the  native 
Eskimos,  for  we  rea<l  they  were  overrun  and  attacked  hy 
them  ahout  134!).  .\  rare  old  document,  the  oldest  work  on 
Arctic  geoo-raphy,  consisti'iK  of  sailinji,'  directions  for  reaching 
the  colony  from  Irel.ind,  wa  written  hy  one  Iva  Bardsen^ 
the  .steward  of  the  Bishopric  of  C.ardar,  in  the  Fast  Bygd. 
Bardscn  was  a  native  of  Lireenland  and  went  forth  for  the 


1 


From  the  "  H„,f„i<l  "  parlnnt  uttrilintal  l,>  ll„lh,  in 
Skuastiax  r.vnuT 


'/■///;  LA  HOTS 


piiri)osp  of  hclpinc;  llic  .•^istcr  colony.  All  of  this  parly  his- 
lory  is  va^up  and  unsalisl'yin,i>-,  hut  it  shows  tlip  adventurous 
spirit  of  ihosp  early  niariiK'rs.  Within  the  next  hundred 
years,  thai  is  to  say  between  I.'JIS  and  1  US,  at  rare  intervals 
there  was  some  eoniinunicalion  with  the  (Ireenland  settle- 
ments, but  hnally  it  ceasfMl  allojietlier.  Later  the  desire  to 
hnd  a  short  route  to  India  inspired  merehanlman  and  mariner 
to  cross  the  Arctic  Circle,  and  in  the  sixteer.th  and  seventeenth 
centuries  exix'ditions  of  note,  led  hy  men  of  daimtles.s  spirit, 
find  their  record  U])on  the  pafies  of  history. 

Morn  in  Bristol,  Kn.iiiand,  about  :  170,  Sebastian  Cabot, 
ambitious  son  of  an  aiUcnturous  fath(r,  John  Cabot,  became 
zealous  at  an  early  aji'e,  through  the  successes  of  Columbus, 
to  at1emi)t  a  like  achievement.  Father  ami  son  proposed 
to  Henry  \'II  to  sail  west,  and  reach  India  by  a  .shorter  route. 
The  l-ins,  pleased  with  the  ich^a  of  entering;  a  new  field  of 
maritime  discovery,  conhded  to  the  Cal)Ots  the  execution  of 
this  plan.  A  ])atent  was  Ki'^mred  .March  5,  1490.  "It  pm- 
pow(>red  them  to  seek  out,  subdue,  and  occupy,  at  their  own 
charives,  any  rejiions  which  befor(>  had  In-en  unknown  to  all 
Christians."  They  were  empowered  to  take  possession  of 
such  lands  and  set  )ip  th(>  royal  banner.  They  were  au- 
thorized to  return  to  the  p(jrt  of  Bristol  and  no  other,  and 
a  fiftli  (jf  the  jt;;uns  of  the  voyafic  were  to  be  turned  over  to 
the  crown.  The  followinf--  yc-ar,  1407,  John  and  Sebastian 
sailed  from  Bristol  in  the  "ood  ship  Mtifhcw. 

By  the  records  of  an  old  map  of  this  jx'riod  the  land  first 
seen  by  the  Cabots  was  the  coast  of  Xova  Scotia  or  Island 
of  Cap(^  Breton.  The  Cabots  desisnated  the  mainland  as 
"Prima  Terra  Vesta."  and  is  outlined  between  4.")°  and  50°, 
showino;  land  called  St.  Juan,  no  doubt  Prince  Edward  Island 
and  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  In  the  Privy  Purse  expenses 
of  Henry  \'II  there  is  the  following  interesting  expenditure, 
"lOlh  of  August,   1497.     To  him  that  found  the  new  Isle, 


'////•;  <!i:eat  wiiitf.  muhii 


L'lO."     No  (louht,  ihis  luddcst  sum  was  ])ai(l  for  Ncwfouiul- 
IhikI. 

With  the  ciithusiasiu  of  tlic  first  \(»yaji('rs  stitiiulatiiiK  tliciii 
to  fresh  effort,  the  ( "ahots  secured  a  second  "patent  "  to  .Jolm 
('al)(»t,  (hited  Fehruary  ;},  1  I'.IS,  -iivinu'  tiini  the  coininand  of 
six  vessels,  of  not  inor(>  than  two  linn(h-ed  tons  each,  and  to 
(luote  the  exact  words  of  tliis  document,  "them  convey  and 
lede  to  the  lande  and  isles  of  hite  found  Uy  tho  said  .John  in 
oure  name  and  liy  oure  connnan(hnent." 

But  before  the  small  fleet  wa.>  in  readiness,  the  father  died, 
and  to  his  son  fell  the  enterprise.  With  five  vessels,  Sebas- 
tian set  sail  from  Bristol  in  .May.  11!)S,  and  reachinj--  the 
American  coast  ascended  as  hinh  as  ()?''  north  latitude,  i)roli- 
ai.ly  pasMUK  into  Hudson  Bay.  He  determined  to  pre>s  on 
in  a  desire  to  find  an  open  channel  to  India.  His  men  became 
appalled  at  the  daimers  that  beset  naviuation  in  tiiose  hi<-her 
latitudes  and  mutinied,  compellinji  him  to  retrace  his  course. 
There  is  a  va^ue  rumour  that  he  had  with  him  ujion  this 
voyafje  over  a  hun<lred  emi.!;rants,  whom  he  landed  in  these 
hi,tlh  latitudes,  and  who  all  perished  from  cold,  althou.di  the 
•reason  was  midsummer.  However,  he  broujiht  back  to  Kiii;-- 
land  three  natives  of  the  countri.'s  he  liad  visited,  and  for 
his  successful  discoveries  of  more  than  eiiihteen  lumdre.l  miles 
of  our  North  American  coast,  the  kin;;-  rewarded  him  by  con- 
ferritiii-  ui)()n  him  the  office  of  (Irand  Pilot  of  ijmland. 

The  interest  and  exertions  of  Seb.astian  Cabot  did  not 
abate,  for  this  hero,  extolled  by  contemporary  writers  for  his 
character  and  c()ura,<j;e,  by  his  unflaji-uinji  perseverance  .and 
iudomitable  will  promoted  the  successful  exix'dilions  of  1").'^, 
for  which  he  was  ai)pointed  -overr  ;•  for  life  of  the  Mu>covy 
("omiiany.  This  company  was  establislied  by  the  merchants 
of  London  for  the  i)urpose  of  ixtendin<i  commerce  and  tra.le 
\n  Inilia  and  Catliay.  and  io  find  a  northeast  route  that 
Viould  exi'jcditr  their  cut (11)1  i.-f. 


WlLLiU  aniiY  A.Xh  cilAScELLon 


\ 


'riircc  ships  wciv  fitted  out.  and  ("ahot  drew  up  instruc- 
tions wliich  arc  curious  rcjidiu);  at  tliis  day.  Tlic  expedition 
was  under  Sir  Huy,li  \Villouf;lil.y  and  liidiard  Cliancellor.  a.ul 
sailed  May  '2(>,  I.j.');!,  "for  the  search  and  discovery  of  north- 
ern ])arts  of  the  world,  to  open  a  way  and  jjassajre  to  our 
men.  lor  travel  to  new  and  unknown  kin<>;(lonis."  ('al)ot 
instructs  these  men  to  treat  all  natives  "with  gentleness  and 
courtesy,  without  any  disdain,  lauf;hin<;-,  <»r  contempt."  If 
they  should  he  invited  to  dine  with  any  lord  or  ruler,  they 
should  <;()  armed  and  in  a  j)osture  of  defence.  He  tells  them 
to  l)ewar(>  of  "persons  armed  with  hows,  who  .swim  naked 
in  various  seas  and  harbours,  de.sirou.s  of  tlii'  l)odies  of  men 
which  they  covet  for  mtat." 

Of  Sir  HuKh  Willou.nhhy.  first  in  conmiand  of  the  Bona 
Sprnnizii,  it  is  recorded  that  lie  was  tall  and  li:m(lsome  and 
had  proved  a  valiant  soldier;  of  Richard  Chancellor,  that 
he  was  heloved  and  j^cnial  and  especially  noted  for  "numy 
jiood  paits  of  wit." 

Thus  on  that  hrifiht  morning'  in  I'arly  May,  these  two  coni- 
mand.-rs  with  their  loyal  crew  sailed  down  the  Thames  amid 
the  (irint--  of  j-uns  and  cheers  of  the  crowds  asseml)led  ui)on 
the  river  i)anks  to  wish  them  (lod-speed.  It  was  understood 
lietween  the  commamlers  that  should  their  ves.sds  become 
separated,  they  should  try  to  meet  at  Wardhuys,  "a  pood 
port  in  Kininark." 

They  proceeded  northward  and  pas.sed  the  northernmost 
f':il)e  of  Kun.jx'  in  .July.  At  nijiht  duriu}--  a  den.se  hig  and 
storm,  the  two  shijis  sei)arated,  the  third  and  smallest  kej)! 
with  \Villoufilir)y,  and  the  two  l)rave  comma,  lens  and  their 
(Mvws  never  met  ajiuin.  Proceedins  northward  .'-ome  two 
hundred  miles,  reachinji'  Nova  Zemi)la,  Willoviohhy  was 
f(M-ce(l  by  the  ice  to  return  to  a  lower  latitude.  In  Septeml)er, 
1  ■)■");{,  he  harboured  in  the  mouth  of  the  river  Arzina,  in  Laj)- 
laiid. 


fT 


6 


rut:  uHiiAT  wmiK  .soinii 


lie  wrote  in  hi-  jouniul  :it  this  lime:  "Thus  reiiiainiiij? 
in  this  hiiveii  the  sinice  of  ;i  weeke,  seiii<j,  the  year  furre  s])ent, 
and  also  very  evil!  wether,  as  tmM,  siiowe.  and  haih',  as 
though  it  had  l)een  the  deeiu'  ol'  winter,  wee  tiiought  it  he.st  to 
winter  there." 

In  January,  aceordinf!;  to  the  record  of  Willoufihhy's  jour- 
nal, all  were  li\iii;^.  In  the  >|>iiii'i  l{u>>ian  sailors,  x-enturin^ 
in  these  hiy;h  latitudes,  were  surprised  lo  see  two  ships  frozen 
in  the  ice.  The  relentless  j^rip  of  the  .Arctic  winter  still  held 
them  fast;  the  hand  of  death  in  its  nMi>t  jii'iicsome  shaju'  had 
reaped  its  harvest.  Not  a  man  survived.  How  hrief  the 
details,  yet  the  imagination  .-hudders  at  the  agonies  of  their 
last  days, -the  cold,  intense.  conKealinji,;  the  impenetrahle, 
melancholy  dark,  and  ileath,  laying;  its  icy  finjrers  upon  the 
desi)airin,a;  heart  of  each  in  turn  ami  the  "last  Man,"  sur- 
rounded hy  the  stark  forms  of  his  companions,  wrestlinji; 
alone  with  inexorable  fate. 

("hancellor's  vessel,  the  llntia  Viidiini.  reached  the  Bay  of 
St.  Nicholas,  and  landed  near  .\i'chan,nvl.  which  was  then  hut 
an  isolated  castle.  He  uiiderlnok  a  journey  to  .Moscow, 
which  resulted  in  successful  arrangements  for  commercial 
enterprise,  Russia  at  that  time  heinj;;  almost  as  little  known 
as  the  far  east.  Heturninu;  safely  to  Mn^land.  he  was  wannly 
welcomed  as  havins  proved  the  ])iactical  utility  of  Arctic 
voyajies. 

One  of  the  companions  of  Chancellor  on  this  voyage, 
Stephen  Burrotmh.  n)at<'rially  aided  hy  Sehastian  Cahot, 
then  in  his  eijihty-fourth  year,  .set  sail  in  h")»)  from  (Jrave- 
send,  in  a  small  pimuice  name<l  X\\v  Search-thrift.  Before  the 
departure,  th(>  ship  and  crew  were  visited  l)y  ("ahot,  and  it 
is  recorded  of  this  farewell  visit  that  "Mast(>r  (  al)ot  fiave  the 
poor  mo.st  liberal  ahnes,  wishinji;  them  to  i)ray  for  the  ^ood 
fortune  and  pios]-)erous  success  of  the  Search-thrift;  and  for 
very  joy  that  hv  hati  to  see  towaidness  of  our  intended  dis- 


SlH    Ih<;i|    Wll.U»L(ilIItV 


■/■///;  fi urn: n HALS 


•I 


I'ovcry,  lit'  t'litcn'cl  into  tlu'  (l;ii\(t'  aiiiimi:;  tlic  n'st  of  tlio  youiij; 
;mil  lusly  •■uinpaiiv  ;  uliirh  l)ciiiij  nidcil  lit-  ami  liis  friends 
(Icpartfil  most  jitiiily,  nMui'icniliii;?  us  to  tlic  novcrimiicc  of 
Almiuiity  ( iod." 

Hiirioim;li  >Uirl(d  tlic  noitlicni  coast  of  Lapland  to  tho 
eastward.  di-e(»vei'inj;  the  .--trait  li'adinn  to  the  Kara  Sea, 
lietwccn  Nova  Z(  inlila  and  W'ai^iat.  As  a  result  of  "the 
jjreat  and  terrilile  aliuiidance  of  ice  that  we  saw  with  our 
eyes,"  Hurroutih  explored  no  farther,  i)ut  sailiuj;  into  tho 
Wiiite  Sea  wintered  at  ( 'oloinoy;ro,  returninjf  home  the  follow- 
in-j;  spring. 

As  early  as  |.")(H)a  l\)rtu'j;ues<\  <  "aspar  ( 'ortereal  by  nanu% 
cndeavourcil  to  reach  ("athay  hy  the  Northwest  I'ass;ifj;e  and 
reaclie(l  lietweeii  oif  ami  OO'^  uoi'th  latituile.  After  iiiakinR 
captive  some  fifty-seven  natives,  for  the  purpose  of  making 
them  >laves,  he  returned  to  Lisbon,  () 'toher  IS,  loOl. 

The  foilowiiiji  year  he  set  sail  a;^ain  with  two  ships  and  is 
supposed  to  have  reacheil  Hudson  Strait,  where  the  vessels 
liecame  separatccl.  Caspar  ('ortereal  and  his  crew  were 
never  heard  of  asain. 

The  other  ship  returned  to  Lisbon  with  the  unfortunate 
tidings,  and  a  l)rot Lrr,  Mijiuel.  set  sail  '""om  Lisbon,  in  the 
spring;  of  l.")()2,  on  a  searchinji;  exix'dition.  V\Hm  reaching 
Hudson  Strait  the  shi])s  se])arated  to  explore  the  various  in- 
lets and  islands  of  the  locality.  Two  of  the  sliii)s  reaehe<l  the 
l)oint  of  rendezvous,  but  the  third,  with  Mijiuel  ("ortereal  on 
board,  never  apjx'ared.  Thus  the  two  brothers  shared  a  like 
fat(>. 

A  third  brother,  Vasco.  iietitioned  the  king  to  equip  another 
exjjedition  to  si'iid  in  search  of  th(>  missing  men,  but  this  the 
king  r<"fuse(l  to  do  on  the  uround  that  the  loss  of  two  was 
greater  than  h(>  could  afford  to  sustain.  No  tidings  wore 
ever  received  that  could  throw  any  light  upon  the  sad  fate 
of  the  ihild  mariners*. 


THE  cukat  Willi  e  sou  I II 


One  of  the  iiidsl  ciirious  i.roduclioiis  by  {!;''< W.'iplicrs  w;)s 
a  mai)  i)ul.lisl.c<l  in  I.mS  l.y  (.iic  Xiccolo*  Zcno,  ;i  Wuctiaii 
n()!)|(",  whose  ;uiccsi.,r  ,,f  thr  sunc  name  liu.l  Icfl  will,  notes 
and  journals  a  record  of  certain  nortliern  journeys  made  hy 
him  toward  liie  end  of  the  fourteenth  cenlury.  He  liad  en- 
tered as  i)ilot  the  service  of  a  marin.'r  named  Ziclmmi,  re- 
mained many  years  in  Ids  service,and,  jinned  later  hya  brother 
falle.l  Antonio,  sp.'nt  -oine  time  in  a  country  he  named  Vv\>- 
landa.  Later  hotli  brothers  found  their  way  back  to  \"enice. 
Theyoun^-Xiccolo.(n>c()Veiin<;tlie  nmtilated  lettersand  maps 
of  these  brothers,  proceeded  to  i)repare  a  narrative  and 
elaborate  map  which  was  considered  a  m.»1  valuable  adcU- 
tion  to  knowle<l;i,.  ;ind  continued  to  l)e  an  authority  for 
more  than  a  century. 

The  names  are  very  curious  and  confu.^in.ti-,  but  are  su])- 
pnsed  to  be  identified  as  follows  : 

Kn-ronelant,  (Ireenlaud;  Islan.hi,  Icelan<l  ;  Kstland, 
Slu'tland  Islands;  Fri>!and,  Faroe  Isles  ;  Mackland.  X.,va 
Srolia  ;  i:sl,,tilan(l,  Newfoundland  ;  Dro-eo.  coast  of  North 
America:    Icaria.  coast  of  Kerry  or  Ireland. 

The  three  voya-es  of  Froliisiier  midertaken  between  the 
y.'ars  b")7()  l.-,7S  were  in  u  ,<ireat  measure  linanced  bv  a  rich 
and  influenti.al  merchant  named  Michael  Lok,  whose" passion 
for  jieoi;rai)liical  research  led  him  to  encoura-ic  the  voun-  e\- 
l)lorer.  who  set  out  in  the  sprin-  of  VuO  in  two  small  ve<s(>ls, 
the  Cahrlel  and  MichmL  The  latter  parted  com])anv  in  tlie 
Atlantic.  and  the  (;<il,ri,i  continued  her  vov;.,,.  .alone.  Fro- 
bi>her  si-hied  lan.l  about  July  20  and  call.'.!  it  (^letn  Eliza- 
beth's I''oreIand. 

rontimiin-  ,,n  his  course,  he  en1er(>d  the  foHowin-.-  d-.-  the 
strait  that  ixvirs  his  name,  callin- th(>  land  "  Mela  Inco-nit,-.." 
lb'  made  a  Landin-  an<l  explored  the  land  to  som.'  extent, 
ivturniiHi-  to  Kn-land  with  som.-  briiiht  yellow  or.'  which' 
aroused  the  enthusiasm  of  g,j|d  seekers  and  -reallv  assisted 


I 


rnoiiisnEii  —  j'l.T  am)  ja(  kma\ 


liiiii  in  cxiKMlitiiifj;  his  oilier  v<)y;i};;(\s.  His  jirinuiry  aim  of 
seeking!;  for  tlic  Xorlliwcsl  Passa^iic  was  all  l>ii1  foryiottcii  ii\ 
the  (■xcilcincul  caused  hy  the  possible  discovery  of  untold 
wealth. 

(^ueen  Kli/ahelh  i-.'ii  instructions  for  his  }2;uidanc(>  upon 
future  voyaj^es:  "  \'f  yt  Im>  j>i)>  ihle,"  so  slates  the  official 
document,  "'you  m1!  nave  Sfiae  persons  to  winter  in  the 
s1raiu;hl,  ;iivin<;'  t  in  inslruciions  how  they  may  ()l)serve 
the  nature  of  the  ayre  and  state  of  the  countrie,  and  what 
time  of  the  yeare  the  straight  is  m;)>-i  free  fi'om  yce  ;  with  who 
you  shall  leave  a  sullicienl  ijrejiaration  of  victualls  and  weaj)- 
oiis,  and  also  a  ])ynnas,  with  a  carpenter,  and  thynjjs  nec(>s- 
sarie,  so  well  as  may  he." 

TIh'  second  journey,  much  hetler  e(iuii)ped  than  the  first, 
l)rouj;ht ihome,  Ix'side  specimens  of  ])lants  and  stones,  lar<j;e 
((Uantities  of  the  sU])pos<'d  jiold  ore.  But  thoufih  the  dream 
of  an  Kl  Dorado  v,-as  never  n>alized,  an<l  the  ore  was  eventu- 
ally ))roved  worthless,  Frohisher's  <>;reatest  victory  1o  science 
was  estal)lishin<;'  the  fact  that  there  were  two  or  more  wide 
openings  leadinji;  to  the  westward  l)etween  latitude  tiO"  and 
(i:i°  on  the  American  coast.  Of  liis  personal  character  we 
note  with  interest  that  he  was  a  brave,  skilful  leader  of  men, 
r(m<z;h  in  beariufji;,  l)Ut  a  strict  disci])linarian,  and  carried 
through  his  desij^ns  with  the  enthusiasm  of  a  true  exi)lorer. 

Arthur  Pet  and  Charles  .lackman,  connnandiiiK  two  ves- 
sels, set  out  in  l.")S()  with  insi ructions  to  sail  throu^ih  the 
strait  leadinji;  between  Xova  Zembla  and  ^\'ai^at,  and  from 
thence  eastward  beyond  th<>  Obi  Hiver.  They  reached 
Wardhuys  on  th(>  2;^d  of  .Iun(\  .Vbout  two  weeks  later  they 
a|)proache(l  X(,va  Zembla,  l)ut  ice  retarded  their  advance. 
They  si«ihtcd  Waiiiat  on  the  lOth  of  July.  While  tryinji  to 
push  their  way  alouii  its  soutliern  coast,  they  were  embar- 
rasM'd  by  shallows  and  obliiicd  to  uo  ro\md  by  the  north. 
Tliev  ft)rced  tluMr  wav  l>etwi'en  tlie  shore  and  a  low  islan<l 


10 


riiE  an  HAT  white  yoitTii 


only  t.)  1„>  ,.|os.hI  in  hy  ti.r  i,v,  which  sfcppo,}  further  pro- 
rcss.      llu.  ships  wviv  ui.l..|y  s.'panitcl,  an.lc.ul.l  <.mIv  ,.<nn- 
mnmv'Mo  with  ..u^h  oth.T  l.y  the  h,.atiMo-  „f  .hnuns  „r  fiHuLr 
'•t  inuskels.     \\  ..u-phio-  their  .hips  as  opportunity  otlVrcl,  th.>y 
hiuilly  ,u-.,t  111  closer  eotniiiunieatioii.     Of  the  weather    the"v 
write  at  this  time,  "Wiiuls  ^vr  have  had  at  will,  hut  ice  anil 
h.Rs  too  nm.-h  ao-ainst  o„r  wills,  if  it  ha.l  pl.-ase.l  the  Lonl 
otherwise."     Surrouiul...!  I,y  fields  of  i<.,.    ..nvloped  in  f.,- 
they  were  ohli^...!  to  n.ak,-  fast  to  ieel.crns,  where,  "ahi.li.^^r 
the    Lords    pleasure,    they    coulinued    with   i)atieiiee  "     ]W 
the    l;]th  of  Auj.u>t  the  seaxm  was  <-oiisid,.r..d  too  far  -ul 
vunc..,!   to  penetrate   farther.     IM    had   <liseover.Ml  a  strait 
l;<'tu-e<-n   the   mainland   an.l   Wai.uat    lea.linfr  i„to  the    Kara 
N"a,  an.    with  this  n..ws  he  returned  to  Knj-land.     .Jaekman 
wintered  m  a  Xorw.-ian  port  ;  sailing  home  in  the  sprin- 
his  ship  with  all  on  l,„ard  was  lost  at  sea.  *' 

TluMlistinguished  British  naval  commander.  Sir  Ilunn.hrev 
ullK.rt,  near  relativ,.  of  .^ir  ^alt.T  Kal,.ii;h  and  favourite  (if 
Qu.'en  l.hzalM.H,.  l„Mno-  amhitious  to  colonize  Newfound- 
land. ol.ta.iu.d  in  l.-,7S  full  pow.T  fmm  th,.  ,„icen  to  under- 
take a  voyage  ol  discovery  and  .settle  such  j.arts  of  North 
America  '"as  no  Christian  prince  or  his  sul.jects  could  claim 
from  pr(>vious  posM'ssion."  His  second  vovag(.  was  under- 
tak,.n  m  loS:5.  .and  with  fiv(>  ships  under  his  command,  he 
suiied  out  ot  Plymouth  Sound,  .June  II. 

A  contagious  disease^  breaking  out  on  one  of  th(>  v(>sscls  the 
Vrom-ty  of  Sir  Waller  Kaleigh,  and  command..d  hv  (  aptain 
Butl.T,  It  ivturiHMl  to  England;  the  four  remaining,  the 
Drluihl.  th<.  (InUni  Ilindc,  the  Swallmr,  an.l  the  S^/ainrl 
sight<".l  N..wf..un.Ilan<I  ahout  .June  30.  Here  th.'v  lan.le,! 
August  -A.  taking  pos.scssion  of  the  harbour  of  St  John's  in 
the  nam.,  of  (Jueen  Klizahetli.  A  min.-r,  brought  for  th.>  pur- 
pose of  fm.hng  i)reci.)us  mentals,  sh.)ul<l  such  exist  in  the 
newly  .lis.-ov.'red  territory,  claimed  to  locate  a  silver  mine 


3 


a? 
1 


3 


Maktin'  I'uohisiikh 


Slli   UlMI'lUiEY  CILllEUT 


11 


which  news  was  frrcctcd  with  inucli  cnthusiiisin  l)y  the  en- 
tire lleet.  So  tiiaiiy  of  the  erew  haviiij;-  hecome  ill,  Sir  IIuiii- 
jjhrey  found  it  ailvisahle  to  send  \nm\v.  the  Swallow  with  the 
siek  on  hoard.  lie  then  enil)arked  on  the  Sqiiiral,  of  only 
ten  tons,  tlie  smallest  ship  of  the  fleet. 

Sailiii};  out  of  the  liarl)our  of  St.  John's  on  Aufiust  20,  he 
reaehed  l)y  the  27th  latitude  44°  with  fair  weather.  Two 
days  later  a  j>;:de  arose  preceded  by  a  dense  fo<j;.  The  (loblen 
Jlintlc  and  Jkliijlit  were  beaten  in  ainonij;  the  rocks  and 
shoals.  The  (loldin  Hinde  si<>;nalle(l  to  stand  out  to  s(>a,  but 
the  Dd'ujJil  did  not  heed  this,  and  was  shortly  afterward 
wrecked  uj)on  a  shoal,  wher(>  her  stern  was  (|uickly  beaten  to 
pieces.  A  few  of  the  crew  escajx'd  in  a  boat,  but  the  cajv 
tain  and  a  hundred  men  went  down  with  the  shiji.  The 
heroic  Captain  Browne,  only  recently  transferred  from  the 
Swallow  to  tli{>  (I'dlilcn  Ilindc,  when  urtied  to  save  himself, 
spurned  the  idea  and  stood  l)ravely  at  his  pcjst  rather  than 
bear  the  reimjach  of  liavinjj;  (h'S(Tted  his  ship,  thoujih  that 
sliip,  himself,  and  all  hands  left  aboard  were  doomed  to  de- 
struction. The  small  boat  into  which  a  few  had  crowded, 
drifted  about  in  the  midst  of  the  pile,  which  threatened  every 
instant  to  swamp  them.  They  w(Te  without  food  and  suffered 
p-eatly  from  thirst.  Fearing  the  overcrowded  boat  would 
founder  unless  materially  liffhtemni,  a  man  named  Headley 
sugst'i^ted  that  lots  be  drawn;  those  drawinjf  tlu^  four  shortest 
should  be  thrown  overboard.  But  one  of  their  number, 
Kichard  Clarke,  who  had  be(>n  master  of  the  Delight,  ro.se  in 
the  Ixnv  and  answereil  .sternly,  "No,  we  will  all  live  or  die 
in  company." 

Two  more  days  passed  with  increased  sufferings.  They 
tried  to  ajipease  the  pangs  of  hunger  A\ith  seaweed  that 
floated  on  the  surface  of  the  waves,  and  they  drank  sea-water. 
On  the  fifth  day  the  man  Headley  died  and  one  other.  All 
but  Clarke  were  praying  to  (Jod  for  ileath,  rather  than  .such 


•////;  <u:kat  nil  UK  sonrii 


(uiitiiiucil  ;moiiy.  ('lai'kc  tricil  to  fiicoiiratic  tliciii  l)y  Iclliiiy; 
lliciii  they  would  Miicly  ivacli  laiul  li>-  llic  iiioirow,  and  il' 
Itiry  did  not  niakr  il  liy  the  scvciilli  day,  they  iniulil  llii'ow 
hiiii  ovcrhoaid.  'I'lic  srvciilli  day  cainc  at  la>1,  and  l.y  noon 
llicy  s'mhicd  land,  as  Clarke  had  ijfophcsicd;  in  the  at'tcr- 
iiooii  llicy  lanilrd.  Tluy  ^avc  llianks  lo  ( iod,  and  alter  slak- 
ing; their  iiniiearal)le  thirst  witli  tVesh  water,  the  stroiiL?  ones 
iouiid  some  l)erries  tifowin^  wild  with  wliieh  to  iVed  \\,>-  party. 
In  M'veral  (hiys  ihey  >lowly  re,<!:ained  their  stren«>,th. 

Later  tliey  rowed  alonii'  tlie  coast.  hopin<j;  to  re;>eh  the 
Iiay  of  Xewloiindhiiid  and  met  some  Spanish  whalers 
who  trc(iiieiite(l  tiiese  waters.  Phey  satisfied  their  hunj;-er 
!)>•  eatinu;  l)erries  and  peas,  landinji  at  intervals  for  tlie  ])iir- 
l)ose.  Uet'ore  loni;  tliey  fell  in  with  a  Spanish  ship;  the 
captain  took  them  to  St.  Jean  (k-  \m/.  in  the  Iiay  of  Hi>cay. 
Laiidin.u;  ne.-ir  the  French  frontier,  they  travelled  throtifih 
France  and  readied  Fn^land  about  the  end  of  the  year  l.lSli. 

'1  he  lo>s  ot  tlie  Dditjlii  was  a  serious  blow  to  Sir  Hum])hrev 
C'.ilhert  :  of  the  five  -hips  willi  which  he  had  started  only  the 
(li>lil(ii  Hi  III!,  and  the  Siiuirnl  sm-vived.  The  itni)enetrai)le 
foils  wiiicli  at  this  juncture  enveloi)ed  these  ships  were  most 
•  lisliearleninji  to  the  cr-w,  and  alr<'aily  the  i)rovisions  on 
board  thi-  Sfjidrrd  weie  runninjr  low.  Officers  and  men 
bisou-^ht  Sir  Hinni)hrey  to  return,  but  reluctantly,  with  no 
abatement  in  his  enthusiasm  for  adventtu-e,  lu-  only  con- 
sented to  alter  his  coiu'se,  upon  their  ])romise  to  (>ml)ark  with 
him  aiiain  tlie  following;  sprinj;-.  On  Auj^ust  M  they  turned 
their  bows  toward  home. 

On  the  2d  of  Sei)teinber,  haviiiti  liurt  his  foot  and  wishiiiii  it 
dressed  by  the  sur,i>-eon.  Sir  Humphrey  Oilbert  lu)ur(led  the 
diihloi  IliniU.  and  lat.'r  repeated  the  visit  to  take  ])art  in  an 
entertainment  with  the  cai)tain  and  crew.  He  mentioned  the 
sorrow  at  the  loss  of  the  /;^//f//;^  and  of  certain  i)a])(>rs  and  ore 
thai    the  Saxon   miner  had  i)rocured   in   Xewfoundland.      He 


J>A\IS     -  liAlihXrZ 


13 


\v:is  iidviscd  to  rciiKiiii  iilunird  the  (loldcn  Ifitidc,  llic  S(/iiirr<i 
Itciiifv  so  cucuiiilMTcd  with  licavy  arlillciy  :iiid  other  freight 
th;it  she  was  not  considered  safe  to  faee  the  storms  so  hkely 
to  occur  in  nnd-ocean  at  tliat  season  ol'  the  year.  After  con- 
sideration, Sir  Humphrey  replied, — 

"I  will  not  now  desert  my  little  vessel  and  crew,  ufte*-  we 
have  encoui  ;,'red  so  many  perils  and  storms  tojicther." 

Bein^-  supplied  from  the  I/iiidc  with  some  necessary  pro- 
visions, Sir  Humphrey  returned  to  the  S<iiiinrl. 

On  the  •llh  of  Septemiier,  in  tli(>  latitude  of  Knf>land,  the 
overburdened  little  craft  of  ten  tons  showd  si-ins  of  I'oimd- 
erinjr.  Sir  Humphrey  was  secMi  l.y  the  Ui/idc  sittin.u  in  the 
stern  of  his  vessel  with  a  Look  in  his  hand  and  was  hear<l  to 
call  out, — 

"Courajie,  my  lads!  we  are  as  near  heav(>n  on  sea  as  on 
land!" 

At  midni,uht  she  saidv  with  all  on  hoard.  Thus  termi- 
nated the  first  attemi)t  to  colonize  the  inhospital.le  shores 
of  Newfoundland. 

Followinji  closely  upon  the  disastrous  voya«i(>  of  Sir  Hum- 
Iihrey  Cilhert  came  the  three  voya.ucs  of  Davis  between  the 
years  l.^S.")  and  1.")8S.  He  discovered  th(>  strait  that  bears 
his  name,  opened  a  way  to  Bafrin  Bay  and  the  Polar  Sea, 
and  surveyed  a  considerable  extent  of  the  coast  of  fireenland. 

Between  the  years  l.")!)!  and  ].-,!fC.  WiUimn  Barentz  made 
thre(>  journeys  to  the  Arctic,  losinj--  his  life  in  the  (hsasters 
and  iirivations  of  the  last  voyauv.  In  this  third  voyajre,  he 
made  his  way  to  the  sea  Ix'twcfMi  Spitzberffcn  and  Xova 
Zembla,  when-  he  writ(>s,  "W,>  came  to  so  ^reat  a  h(-ap(-  of 
ice  that  we  could  Tiot  sayl(>  through  it."  In  August,  159(), 
they  were  surrounded  by  driftino'  i,-,.  which  crushed  around 
them  with  such  alarmiiif--  force  as  to  make  "all  the  haire  of 
our  heads  to  rise  upriiiht  with  feare."  They  m;.de  every 
elfort  to  extricate  themselves  fn.'.^i  their  perilous  position, 


11 


Tin:  GREAT  II  /////•;  yoirrn 


hut  on  the  lltli  of  Scjitcinhor  "we  saw  that  wo  could  not 
lift  out  ol  tlic  i( c,  hut  ratluT  iK'canu"  faster,  and  eould  not 
loose  our  shi|),  as  at  otlier  times  we  had  done,  as  also  that 
it  hejiaii  to  he  winter,  so  took  eo\insell  to;!;etiier  what  we  were 
l)esl  to  doc,  aceoniinn  to  tlie  time,  that  we  mi;iht  winter,  and 
atttud  such  advent  luc--  as  (Jod  would  send  us;  and  after 
we  had  dciiated  ujjon  the  matter  do  keejx'  and  deh'lul  our- 
selves hotli  from  tlie  colde  and  wild  heastr-),  we  determined 
to  l)uild  a  house  upon  1  lie  land,  to  keej)e  us  there  in  as  well  as 
wee  could,  and  to  conunit  ourselves  unto  the  tuition  of  (lod." 

While  .-earchin;;'  for  material  wherewith  to  huild  their 
winter-ciuarters,  they  discovered  a  (luantity  of  driftwood  for 
which  they  thanked  (Jod  for  a  special  act  of  Providence,  and 
''were  nnich  comforted,  Ix'inii;  in  jiood  lio])e  that  (lod  wouhl 
show  us  some  fmlher  favour  :  for  that  wood  served  us  not 
only  to  huild  c  ir  hou>e,  l»ut  al>o  to  hurne,  and  serve  us  all 
the  winter  lonu; ;  othei'wise,  without  all  doul)t,  we  had  die<l 
there  miseral)ly  with  extrenu^  cold.'' 

In  spite  of  the  intense  cold  which  made  the  l)uildinu:  of 
their  hut  most  lahorious.  ther(>  was  open  water  an  "arrow 
shot"  beyond  their  ship.  They  drajijied  their  stores  on 
hand  sleds,  and  by  October  tluMr  dwellins,  closely  thatchcMl 
with  sea  rack  to  keep  out  as  nuich  cold  as  possible,  was  com- 
])let('d,  and  "'we  set  up  our  dyall  and  made  the  clock  stride.'' 
On  the  tth  of  Xoveinl)er.  "wee  saw  the  sunne  no  more,  for  it 
was  no  lon,u;er  above  the  horizon  ;  then  our  chinu'sion  made 
a  bath  (to  bathe  us  in)  of  a  wine-]iipe,  wherein  wee  entered 
one  after  another,  nnd  it  did  us  much  good,  and  was  a  great 
meanes  of  our  health." 

Regulations  were  established,  food  was  apportioned,  and 
extra  clothing  distritnited.  Traps  were  set  for  foxes  and 
other  game,  but  soon  the  weather  became  so  rigorous  that  for 
days  they  were  snowed  in  and  could  not  opeti  their  door. 
They  were  in  darkness  except  for  their  hre,  the  smoke  of 


1- 


SlU   JIt.MI'HHEV    (ilLHEUT 


llAliESTZ 


lo 


which  iMra.MO  almost   luicnhiruhlr.     l,r  for,,,,,!   two  inch.-, 
tlurk   ,,.   tlH..r   hnths,  u,ul   th.-ir   .ui.sfiy   .nay   hv   i,„a.iu,..l 

«|..tl-7thor  I),.v,nl„.r,  th.y,nanaf.,.,lto  smiro  son.o 
;•-  "•<";;  tlu..r  sh.,.  and  with  it  nuul..  a  ,oo,I  Hn-  whi.-h 
^^a^n<.,  h,.,n  sonunvhat,  though  it  nearly  a.sphv.x.at...!  th.n, 
""■;■"'.''  '•'.■"•;"""'^'  "v.T  n,o,v  infnsr  an.l  th.ir  suppiv  of 
wood  .hnnn..lnn^,  their  sum-rina.  a.v  .lotnl  repj-'ny  i,. 
their  join-nal.  •' 

••It  was  ionie  u-eather  a^.iin,  with  an  easterly  wind  an.l 
.-xtrean.e  rod,  ahuo.t  not  to  hee  endured,  where  upon  wee 
lookt  p,tt.fully  one  upon  the  other,  l.ein«  in  «reat  feare,  that 
1    the  extreanntie  of  the  eol.l  j-rew  to  l,ee  n.ore  an.l  more,  woo 
.sh..ul.l  all  .ly..  th..n-  with  eol.l  ;    f.,r  that  what  fire  soev.T  wee 
|nade  it  wouM  not  warme  us  ;    yea,  an.l  our  sak,>.  whi.-h  is  so 
h.>t    was  fr..z..n  v.mt  l.anl,  so  that  wlu-n  we  w,t<"  ev.Tv  man 
to  have  his  ,,art,  we  wen-  forml  to  melt  it  in  th.>  fire,\vhi.-h 
we..  shar(>.l  evrry  s,...on.l  .lay  about  halfe  a  pint  for  a  man 
^^^''■'•''  :^-'^''  ^v.-  w..r..  fonv,l  t.>  sustayne  o.ir.selves  ;    an.l  at 
other  times  we  .Irank,-  wat.^r,  wlm^h  aRTee.l  not  well  with  tlu> 
<'"l'l,  :in<l  w<.  ne<..le,|  n.,t  to  cool.-  it  with  sn.nv  or  ice-    hut 
we  were  foreenl  to  melt  it  .)ut  of  the  snow." 

They  w.'re  oiWn  awed  by  the  great    volum(>s  of  sound, 
l.k.>  the  bursting  asun.h.r  of  mountains  an.l  the  dashing 
l.cm  to  atoms."     About  the  mi.ldl..  of  January,  they  were 
'<"'';<;'l.   un,l,.r  great  .lifrK.ulti..s,  to  s.vure  mor,>  vvoo.'l  and 
making  anoth.T  trip  to  the  yessel,  they  foun.l  mueh  iee  ami- 
inulate.1  within,  and  returne.l  to  th.-ir  hut  with  a  fox  caught 
"'/'"''•"':''  ^;^'^"''  '''''''^'  P'-'^vi.le.l  them  with  fr.-sh  meat. 
On  Twelfth  N.ght  they  ma.lo  a  heroic  efYort  t.,  make  rn.Try 
They  dnny  lots  for  the  honour  of  being  king  of  Xoya  Zeml)la. 
an.    th..  gunn.T  ^ya.s  royally  installed.     Imagining  thomselyes 
ba.  .  ,n     loUand,  thr-y  drank  to  the  three  kings  of  Cologne, 
soakmg  biscuit  lu  the  wine  that  for  days  they  had  set  aside 


M 


////;  <ii:KM   wimi:  Miinii 


out  (if  tlifif  x-int  .More  to  ftlrl.niti'  tlii-  "Kn-nt  tV:i-t."  Mut 
Itu'  inttiisf  t  .ilil  ami  .-torin>  that  ^tum  I'olluwtd  fxrludcd  every 
otiicr  i.lia.  ami  I'or  day-  tli.y  were  >liiit  in.  trying  to  l>niiK 
warintli  to  their  I'lo/.eii  iioilio  with  iiot  stoiio.  Imt  while 
>ittiii'j;  liet'ore  the  lire,  their  l>:icl<s  would  he  wliite  with  i'i'o.>t, 
while  the  !•  >tockiM,ns  would  he  hunied  het'ore  they  eould  i'e»'l 
heat   to  th<ir  i'eet. 

Their  >tocls  ot'  provisions  was  hecoininji;  exhausted,  ami 
althouiih  they  had  seen  traces  of  hears  ami  heard  the  t'o\es 
ruimiuji  over  their  heads,  they  eould  not  secure  any. 

On  January  IM,  Ceranl  de  Veer,  .lacoh  Keenisdirk,  and  a 
third  companion,  upon  niakinji  their  way  to  the  sea>ide 
toward  the  north,  saw  the  >un  ahove  the  horizon  for  the  iir.-t 
time.  Not  haviny;  expectetl  this  event  for  fourteen  tlays 
later,  Harent/  was  douhtful  of  their  accuracy.  On  the  'Jtith, 
one  of  their  numher  who  had  lon-j;  lieen  ill  died,  and  they  duji 
a  jirave  seven  feet  in  tlie  snow,  "after  that  we  liad  read  cer- 
taine  chapters  and  sun^  some  i»alnies,  we  all  went  out  and 
huried  the  man." 

As  daylight  increas(-d,  they  left  their  hut  for  short  periods 
of  exei'ci-e. 

Hy  May  their  impatience  to  leave  this  desolate  spot 
l)rompte(l  them  to  make  preparations  for  departure,  and 
without  waitinti  to  see  if  their  ship  would  he  navitiahle  when 
once  released  from  the  ice,  tliey  repaired  their  two  hoats 
and  awaited  the  first  opportunity  "to  >iet  out  of  that  wilde, 
desart,  irUesome,  fearfull,  and  <'olil  countrey." 

On  the  VM\i  of  June,  the  twelve  survivors  left  the  miserai)le 
shelter  th.it  had  heen  their  home  for  ten  months,  and  took 
to  the  open  hoats.  Their  sufferii\<i;s  and  jirivations  cannot 
he  descrihed  ;  three  of  their  mimh(>r  succunihed,  and  lia- 
reiitz  himself  hecame  too  ill  for  service. 

.\s  they  iKissed  ley  Cape,  a  headland  of  .Maska.  lalilud^- 
70°  20'  X.,  limsitude  101°  40'  W.,  Barentz  asked  to  he  lifted 


liAREMZ 


r 


tip  to  sec  it  once  more,  and  the  dyinjj;  man's  oyos  rested  with 
pleasure  upon  its  eiieerless  coast. 

<  )n  the  twentieth  day  of  June,  liarentz  was  told  that  a  man 
'  in  the  other  boat  named  Claes  Andriz  was  near  death.  He 
remarked  he  would  not  lon^  survive  his  eoimade.  He  was 
examininj;-  at  the  moment  a  ehart  of  the  countries  and  oh- 
jects  they  had  seen  on  their  voyafic  He  turned  to  (lerard 
de  N'eer,  who  had  made  this  ehart,  and  asked  him  for  some- 
thinjj;  to  driiik.  Hardly  had  lie  swallowed  the  liquid  when 
he  su<ldenly  exiiired.  Sathleneil  and  disheartened,  the  rem- 
nant of  this  unfortunate  (expedition  strussh'd  on  until  Sep- 
tember, when  they  reached  the  coast  of  Lapland. 

After  a  voyafie  of  eleven  hundred  and  forty-threo  miles, 
thes(>  heroes  of  tlie  north  left  their  boats  in  the  "Merchant's 
house"  at  Coola  as  "a  sij>;n  and  token  of  their  deliverance." 
A  Dutch  shij)  carri(>d  them  to  Holland,  where  they  appeared 
before  the  curious  crowds  of  Amsterdam  in  the  costume  they 
had  worn  in  Nova  Zembla.  They  were  honounnl  by  their 
countrymen  and  made  to  repeat  their  wonderful  ailventures 
before  the  ministers  of  the  Haji'ue. 

To  the  early  mai)s  of  the  period  at  the  close  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  Newfoundland  and  adjacent  coast  line  had  l)een 
added  by  th(>  Cabots,  who  had  reached  as  far  as  1)7°  north 
latituch',  Frobisher  Strait,  an  outline  of  the  lands  that  he 
had  visited.  Davis  Strait,  and  a  portion  of  dreenland's  east 
coast.  15ut,  more  imi)ortant  than  the  discovery  of  new  tcTri- 
tory  was  tlie  stinuilus  to  Arctic  enterprise,  which  throuji;h 
Richard  Chancellor  had  established  valuable  trading  activi- 
ties between  Enj^land  and  far-distant  Russia.  The  journ(>ys 
of  the  ("otereals  had  opened  a  way  to  Spanish  and  Portu- 
.uuese  fisheries  off  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  and  Frobisher's 
sujiposed  discovery  of  jiold  in  distant  lands  had  given  ze.st 
to  discovery  in  the  NewW»;rld  l)ythe  Entiiish,  (>xemplified  by 
Sir  Huinjihrey  (Jilbert's  daring  but  unsuccessful  attempt  to 
coloiuze  Newfoundland. 


CHAl'TEU  II 

Srvcntmith  and  ci^ht.-cnth  cvnturi.s  .Ilmlson  -Baffin.  -  M.- 
„HY.  Hchiin-  Schalaroir.  -Tchitsehagof.  -  Aujou  and  \  on 
Wrangi'll.  —  IMiipiJS. 

No  ccnturv  has  produced  a  num>  (luring  or  ronowned 
nuirincr  tluunh-nry  Hu.ls..n,  or  ono  whosi>  nu^kucholy  fate 
lu.s  provoked  more  pity.  Down  throuj^h  the  .Iceades  the 
story  of  his  adve,min>s  has  l.een  t.)ld  and  retold  at  the  fireside 
of  tlie  old  to  the  eat^er  ears  and  <iuiekening  imaguiation  ut  the 

'  Talented,  indefatigable,  fearh'ss,  his  aehievements  in  the 
infancy  of  Arctic  exploration,  haiulicapped  by  the  lack  ot  all 
that  invention  and  science  has  secnred  to  modern  explorers, 
,,hu-(-  him  in  the  first  rank,  ^vith  the  gr(>atest  navigators  the 
lorld  has  known.  As  early  as  lti()7  he  had  chstinguished 
hin.self  bv  pushing  as  far  north  as  latitude  81JV,  m  his  elTo.t 
t.)  follow\he  instructions  of  the  Muscovy  Company  to  pene- 
trate to  the  Pole.  Attempting  the  Northeast  Passage  in  1008, 
he  saw  North  (^ape  on  the  M  of  June  ;  pushing  to  the  east- 
ward on  parallels  74°  and  7o°.  he  skirte.l  ^ova  Z^.nbla,  but 
found  it  impossible  to  pem>trate  higher  than  /2   -o 

Thv  next  vear  the  Dutch  s(>nt  him  to  try  this  passage 
again,  though  the  previous  voyage  had  convinced  luin  that 
the  Northeast  Passage  was  impractical.  , 

He  passed  Warhuvs.  returning  past  North  Cape,  pushing 
hi.  wav  to  the  American  coast,  where  he  searched  for  a  pas- 
sa.re,  an.l,  sailing  into  New  York  harbour,  discovered  the  mag- 
nificent river  which  bears  his  name.  This  spl(>n.hd  ach.eve- 
m.nt  oiilv  stirred  his  aml)itions  further,  and  under  the  patron- 

IS 


innsox 


10 


apo  of  Sir  John  Wolstenholmo,  Sir  Dudley  Disgos,  and  other 
disliiiKuished  men,  a  vessel  of  fifty-five  Urns  was  fitted  out 
and  provisioned  for  six  months. 

I'nder  the  command  of  Hudson,  the  Discinrrij  set  sail 
April  17,  KtlO.  Touehiiip  at  Orkney  and  Faro  islands,  they 
sijihted  the  southeastern  part  of  Iceland,  May  11.  Later 
they  reached  the  Veslnianna  Isles,  and  saw  Mount  Hecla  in 
eruption.  On  June  4,  Hudson  writes,  "This  day,  we  .saw 
Greenland  jK'rfectly  over  the  i-e  ;  and  this  night  the  sun  went 
down  due  north,  and  rose  north-north-east,  so  plying  tlie  fifth 
day  we  were  in  0')°." 

Taking  their  course  northwest,  they  passed  Cape  Deso- 
lation. \  school  of  whales  was  sighted  at  this  juncture,  and 
later  icebergs  were  encountered.  In  June  they  saw  Resolu- 
tion Island;  going  to  the  south  of  this  island,  they  were 
carried  hy  the  current  northwest,  until  they  struck  .shore  ice, 
from  which  it  was  most  difficult  to  extricate  themselves. 

.Vt  this  time  a  growing  d^^content  among  the  men  first 
a]ii)eared  on  hoard  ;  some  were  for  returning  before  the  perils 
of  th(>  journey  should  become  greater,  others  were  for  con- 
tinuing. Hudson  showed  them  a  chart  showing  that  they 
had  sailed  two  hundnnl  leagu(>s  farther  than  any  Englishmen 
had  sailed  before.  The  situation  of  the  ship,  at  times  em- 
bedded in  ice,  at  others  pushing  her  way  through  leads  of 
oi)en  water,  was  critical  and  discouraging,  but  Henry  Hudson 
continued  his  intricate  navigation,  finally  being  rewarded  by 
finding  himself  in  a  clear,  ojien  sea.  Sighting  three  head- 
lands, he  called  them  Prince  Henry  Cape,  King  James, 
and  Queen  Anne,  and,  continuing,  he  saw  a  hill  which  he 
called  Momit  Charles,  and  later  .sighted  Cape  Salisbury 
Wliile  exploring  the  south  shore,  he  discoven^d  an  island, 
one  point  of  which  he  named  Deepe  Cape,  the  other, 
Wolstenholme.  He  entered  a  bay,  which,  from  the  date, 
he  called  Michaelmas  Bay. 


!..:^J^umn 


•20  rilE  (iREAT    WlllTK   SOUTH 

The  season  was  advancing;  alrca.ly  tlic  <lays  were  v(>ry 
short  an.l  tlu>  nights  lont;  ami  col.'.  licali/Zni^  it  was  tiuu'  to 
fin.l  slu'ltcT  for  the  winter,  he  cast  about  t(.  .liseover  a  suitable 
location.  By  the  first  of  Novenilu.r  h(>  had  tlu«  vessel  hauled 
asroun.l,  and  ten  days  later  it  was  frozen  m  Ihe  s  oek  o 
provisions  was  very  low.  but  the  men  supplemented  i  by 
kiUins  or  trapiHns  anythinj^  that  was  s,>rv,eeable  for  foo(  , 
ami  after  ^tune  left  them  in  the  sprinj^,  they  hve<l  on  sm-h 
bird.,  as  they  eoul.l  s(>cure  ;  when  these,  too,  nn-rate<l,  they 
ate  moss,  frof^s,  and  l)uds. 

With  the  breaking  up  ..f  the  ie(>  in  the  sprmfj,  preparations 

were  made  for  nturnins  home.  ,    .       ,  , 

In  Hudson's  own  bay.  in  the  .-old  embrace  of  the  shores  he 
had  explor..!,  Henry  Hudson  divided  the  last  remnants  of 
food  e.,uallv  anions  his  m<-n.  Th(<y  wen>  a  famishec  ,  de- 
spairins  c-rc;v,  ma.ldc.n.Ml  with  suff(>rins.  The  cry  for  brea* 
was  in  their  vitals,  an.l  there  was  no  bread.  Hunj^er  and 
misery  made  their  brains  reel,  robbed  tlu-m  of  their  sodh- 
n(>ss  and  re.luced  them  to  wild  animals  at  buy.  It  took  but 
th<>  encouragement  of  one  of  their  number,  Gvvvn  by  name,  to 
incite  them  to  mutiny. 

On  June  21,  "The  ship's  company,  both  sick  and  well, 
were  in  berths,  disp(>rse<l  p'n.-rally  two  and  two  about  the 
ship      Kins,  one  of  the  crew  who  was  supposed  to  be  tnemlly 
to  Hudson,  was  up,  and  in  the  morning  th(^y  securetl  him  in  the 
hol.l  by  fastenins  down  the  hatches.     Green  them  went  and 
held  the  carpenter  in  conversation  to  amus(>  him,  while  two 
of  the  crew,  k(-epins  Just  b(>fore  Hudson,  and  one    named 
Wilson,  b.>hind  him,  bouml  his  hamls.     Hv  aske.l  what  they 
were  about,  and  thev  t.)ld  him  he  should  know  when  he  was  m 
the  shallop.     Another  mutineer,  .luet,  w«mt   doNvn  to  King 
in  the  hol.l,  who  kept  him  at  bay,  beins  arme.l  with  Ins  sword. 
He  came  upon  .leek  to  Hu.lson,  whom  he   found   with  his 
hand.  tied.     Hud.on  was  hear.l  to  call  to  the  carpenter,  and 


e 

y 

e 
d 
o 
d 

■y 

in 

ig 
d. 
lis 
id 


from  the  iHiiitling  hy  Collii  r 
TiiB  Death  of  Hknuy  Ht  kwon 


iiArrix  —  r,i:inii.\(! 


21 


1(11  him  lie  was  hound.  Two  of  the  devoted  party,  who  were 
sick,  told  the  iimtiiicers  their  knavery  would  he  punished. 
Tliey  paid  no  attention  ;  the  shallop  was  hauled  up  to  the 
side  of  the  vessel,  and  the  sick  and  lame  wi-re  made  to  fret  into 
it.  The  carpenter,  whom  they  had  agreed  to  retain  in  the 
vissel.  asked  them  if  they  would  not  he  hanjied  when  tlu'y 
reached  Kn^iaiid,  and  holdly  refused  to  remain  with  them, 
im-ferrin-;;  to  share  the  fate  of  Hudson  and  the  .sick  men." 

The  crew  then  set  sail,  and  the  l)oat  in  which  were  Hud.son 
and  his  coini)anions  was  never  .seen  aji;ain.  After  many  haril- 
ships  and  vicissitudes  and  much  loss  of  life  through  the 
(Mislau^ht  of  the  natives,  where  they  landed  to  .secure  food,  ii 
renmant  of  the  unfortunate  crew  found  their  way  past  the 
Cape  of  Ciod's  Mercies  and  thence  to  Cape  Desolation  in 
(ireenland.  Pursuing  their  homeward  course,  they  were  re- 
duced to  the  l.ist  extremities  hy  hunger,  one-half  a  fowl  fried 
in  tallow  i)er  man  heing  their  only  sustenance  each  twenty- 
fovu'  hours. 

Just  hefore  their  last  hird  was  d(>voured,  they  sighti-d  the 
north  of  Ireland,  where  they  lamh'd,  and  later  made  their 
way  to  Plymouth. 

Followin}>;  the  exam])le  of  Hudson,  and  with  the  purpose  of 
further  discoxery,  Baffin  set  sail  in  1(U()  and  e.\i)lored  the 
vast  l»ay  eight  hundred  mil(>s  long  and  three  hundred  miles 
wide  that  hears  his  name.  He  saw  Lanca.ster  Sound  and 
hrought  home  ohservations  and  rejwrts  of  latitude  and 
longitude,  the  accuracy  of  which  was  douhted  for  many 
years,  hut  has  since  heen  verified  and  accredited  to  him. 

E(iually  tragic  with  the  fate  of  Henry  Hud.son  was  the 
last  voyage  of  that  great  Ru.ssian  commander,  Behring, 
whose  life  was  one  long  record  of  heroic  achievement.  He 
had  .«een  many  jKirts  of  the  world  while  serving  under  Peter 
the  (;r(>at,  hy  whom  he  was  given  the  commission  of  lieu- 
ten;tnt  in  1707,  and  captain-lieutenant  in  1710.     In  a  pre- 


.).> 


riiK  anKAT  w  niTE  soimi 


vious  voyii^f  lie  hud  cxijlorcd  llic  .•<1r;iils  wliicli  hciir  his 
nuiMc.  'I'hoc  si  rails  liad  Ik'cii  navijialtd  nearly  a  ••ciitury 
Ix'forc  l)y  DcslmclT,  t»iif  of  the  early  Russian  explorers  who 
nuiile  several  voyaj^es  l>et\ve<'H  UiKi  aiul  1018.  His  fireut 
ol)jee1  was  to  rouiiil  1o  the  mouth  of  the  Anadry  River, 
and  ther(>  form  a  traders'  settlement.  DeshnelT  and  his 
(•omi)anions  were  the  first  navi<2;ators  to  sail  from  the  Arctic 
Sea  to  tlie  Pacific,  and  proveil,  at  a  much  earlier  ])eriod  than 
is  generally  supi)osed,  that  the  continents  of  America  and 
Asia  are  not  united. 

Behring  set  sail  .Iun(  !.  1711,  with  two  vessels  from  Kamts- 
chatka  in  the  harlumr  of  St.  Peter  an<l  St.  Paul.  Steerins 
eastward  toward  the  American  continent,  he  sighted  land  the 
ISth  of  July,  in  latitude  .")S°  28'  and  oO"  longitude,  from 
Anatsda.  Captain  Tscliirikov,  who  commanch-il  tliis  .second 
lioat.  liad  seen  the  land  a  few  days  previously  and.  having 
determineil  to  send  some  men  ashore  for  investigation,  the 
slialloj)  and  long-hoat  were  manned  with  seventeen  of  the 
crew  for  this  jjunx'se.  They  never  returned  to  the  shi|). 
Such  a  grave  disaster  detern)ined  Behring  to  send  this 
vessc^l  hack  to  Kamtschatka. 

He  ])roceeded  on  his  voyage  aUme,  ho|)ing  to  roach  as 
higli  latitude  as  ()()°,  hut  i)rogress  was  slow,  owing  to  th(>  varied 
coast-line  and  the  labyrinth  of  islands  wliich  l)ord(>r  this 
vicinity.  They  fell  in  with  a  few  natives,  who  had  been  on 
a  fishing  expedition,  with  whom  they  held  some  fri(>nd]y 
intercourse.  Progress  continued  to  be  retarded  by  calms 
anil  currents,  and  finally  dirty  weather  set  in  early  in  Sep- 
temt)er  and  raged  in  a  violent  storm  for  sevent(H'n  days. 

The  scurvy  now  attacked  the  crew,  and  mimerous  deaths 
occurred.  Belu-ing  determiiunl  to  return  to  Kamtschatka. 
Througli  an  unfortunate  i)lunder,  they  erred  in  their  course, 
and  land  remained  invisible.  The  approach  of  winter 
became  aiaruiiug,  tlu^  cold  increased,  and  rain  turned  to  ice 


iu:iiiii\(; 


and  i-iiow.  The  unfortunate  crew  were  in  n,  pitiutilo  condi- 
lioii  iVoni  the  niiscral.le  discas."  that  laid  hold  of  them.  The 
st.cisnian  had  to  i.c  supported  at  the  wiieei  l)y  twoother  siek 
men  that  he  inijrht  eontinue  at  his  post  of  duty.  Finally 
he  was  disabled,  and  men  luirdly  more  fit  took  his  place 
one  l.y  one.  Almost  daily  some  one  died,  and  the  sliij),  no 
longer  with  enough  iiands  to  man  her,  was  at  Ihe  mercy  of 
the  elements.  The  ni;;hts  became  lon^-  and  dark,  the  water 
supply  was  runninji  low,  and  certain  destruction  and  death 
awaited  the  remnant  of  human  Leinj-s  left  on  hoard,  unless 
a  harbour  of  refu-^e  could  be  found. 

At  last  one  morninj;  land  was  sighted.  The  ai)proacli  was 
difficult,  the  ship  so  crippled  as  to  be  almost  utunanaf-cable, 
and  the  rocks  threatened  instant  destruction.  Darknes.s 
camo  on  before  they  could  make  a  landing.  In  their  attempt 
to  anchor,  two  (ables  parted,  and  the  anchors  were  lo.st ; 
they  had  no  third  anchor  in  readiness. 

At  this  juncture  it  s(>emed  as  if  the  liand  of  Providence 
mtervened,  for  a  huf-e  wave  lifted  them  across  a  sand  bar, 
betw(>en   a  narrow  openin-  of  hi-r},   rocks,  and  they  found 
thems..lves  in  calm  water,  where  the  next  dav  theV  made 
a  s.iccessful  landing.     The  land  proved  a  barren  aiul'treoloss 
island,  fortunately  well  supplied  with  game,   but  tluve  was 
no  hut  or  sheltcT  of  any  kind,  showins  jt  to  be  uninhabited. 
Sucii  of  the  crew  as  were  able  ma.le  shelters  under  projecting 
sand-banks,  using  sail-cloth  to  keep  out  the  wind  and  cold 
and  there  they  l)rought  tlieir  sick  and  dving  comrades.     Rut 
the  shock  to  some  of  th.>  sickest  prov(>.l  fatal,  and,  before 
llH.ir   dead    bodies   could    be    interred,    foxes   attacked   and 
devoured  portions  of  the  liands  and  feet. 

A  special  shelter  was  mad<'  for  th.>  brave  old  captain,  now 
'•'•duc'd  to  the  last  extremities  of  <lisease,  his  bodv  emaciated 
his  nnnd  enf,«ebl(>d.     Uv  was  move.l  November  9,  and  th<>re 
hv  lay  dyuig,  passing  the  weary  hours   in   the   vagaries  of 


—WWiW— — 


\ 


THE  (iltr.M'   Willi  K  yninii 


(IcliriuiM,  l)y  covering  lii>  slirui\k('ii  t'nriii  willi  sand,  iiKikiiiy; 
his  own  ^ruvc.  us  it  were,  uiilil,(»ii  DccctiilHi- S,  17  n,lif  passed 
uwiiv.  Tlicrt"  lie  rests,  licliriujf  Ishiiul  liis  sipulchrc,  ;iiul  his 
iKimc  is  upon  every  iiKip  of  the  world,  siiowiiiji  the  straits 
(UviihiiK  North  Ainericu  and  Asia,  tlirouj^h  whicli  lie  sailed 
in  the  v;Iory  of  his  prime. 

The  conunand  was  now  under  Waxall,  who  rallied  his  men 
to  sup«rhuinan  eiVort,  that  they  mii^ht  pass  the  weary  winter 
and  attempt  making  their  eseajje  in  the  si)rinK.  A  frio;htful 
blow  to  their  hopes  was  the  wreekin<j;  of  their  vessel  and  a  h)ss 
of  vuluahle  food  supplies,  whieh  1  >ok  place  the  20lh  of  I)e- 

eemher. 

Ry  March,  1742,  th(>  forty-five  survivors  (thirty  of  their 
nuniher  having  iierished)  were  confronted  hy  the  problem  of 
how  to  make  their  eseaiu-  when  the  ire  should  ])ermit.  Their 
l)oat  was  11  total  wreck,  and  their  only  hope  lay  in  con- 
structing from  the  debris  a  cruft  that  would  be  sufficiently 
trustworthy  to  carry  them  to  civilization.  At  Waxall's  suf^- 
fiestion,  tliey  took  the  old  vessel  to  i)iecos,  and  one  Sawa 
Slaradoubzov,  a  native  of  Siberia,  who  had  worked  in  the 
shiljyard  at  Okhotsk,  offered  to  construct  the  new  craft. 

Karly  in  :\Iay  the  ship  was  started.  It  was  forty  feet 
lonji  and  thirte(>n  broad,  one  maste<l,  a  sm:ill  cabin  in  the  l)oop 
aiuF  a  galley  in  the  fore  part  of  the  vessel.  A  second  small 
boat  was  also  made. 

On  the  lOth  of  Ausust  it  was  launched  and  christen(>d  the 
SI.  Pchr.  D>n-ins  a  few  days'  calm  that  followed,  the  rud.ler, 
sails,  and  ballast  were  adjusted.  Provisions  and  such  furs 
as  they  had  collected  were  put  al>oard,  and  they  set  sail  on  the 
l()th.  Althoujih  Slaradoubzov  had  never  been  a  canienter, 
his  craft  i)roved  seaworthy  and  breasted  a  f^iiU'  in  fine  shape. 

They  sighted  Kamtschatka.  An<iust  IV).  entered  tlH>  T.ay  ()f 
Awatska  tlie  next  day.  and  n\ade  i^ort  at  Petropalovski, 
Au.-^ust  27.     It  is  i)leasant  to  nott-  that  the  Russian  i;oVini- 


A.\J(H-  AMj    ro.V    WliAyUKLL 


25 


inciit  conferred  flic  hnvcst  rank  of  nobility  upon  Siuvti  Slura- 
(loul)zov,  that  of  Siiil)oi;u>koy. 

The  l{ussi!ins  liiivc  hccn  untiring  in  tlicir  cndcjivour  to  dis- 
cover a  i)a>say:e  eastward  to  the  north  of  Cape  Taininer  and 
Cap.'  ChelaKskoi.  In  1700,  Schalarol'f  attempted  to  force  the 
[)ass;:-e  that  Iiad  jmjved  so  (hsastrous  to  liehrin« ;  in  sj  '.eof 
iniitJMv  and  iiardship,  he  renewed  his  attempt  three  times, 
l>ut  \va«;  finally  wrecked  al)ont  seventy  miles  east  of  Capo 
(  helaKskoi,  where  he  and  his  crew  perished  miserably  from 
starvation. 

Admiral  TchitscliaRof  endeavoured  to  forc(>  a  passage  roiuid 
Spitzherucn  in  the  y(>ar  17()4,  hut  in  sjute  of  courage  and 
perseverance,  his  expedition  was  unsuccessful.  Later  Cap- 
tain Billino;s  in  1787  made  two  attempts,  both  of  which  were 
unsuccessful. 

Many  years  later,  1820  to  1823,  Lieutenant  Anjou  and 
Admiral  \'on  Wransell  made  a  series  of  remarkable  sledgo 
journeys  startin<r  from  the  mouth  of  the  Kolvma  Hiver.  On 
the  fourth  journey,  March,  182:3,  \'on  Wrans<"ll  reached 
latitu.le  70^  of,  lon-ittide  17r,°  27'  W.,  erne  lumdred  and  five 
versts  in  a  direct  line  from  the  mainland  over  a  frozen  .sea. 
Several  times  the  party  came  near  losinjr  their  lives  by 
l»reakinj.-  throuj^h  the  ice.  After  reaching,  this  hijrh  lati- 
tude a. id  recojrnizin.s.  signs  of  open  water  to  the  north,  Von 
\\  ranjicll  writes  :  — 

"Not withstanding  this  sure  token  of  the  impossibility  of 
proceediu-  nnich  further,  we  continued  to  j.(,  due  north'  for 
about  nine  versts,  wh(>n  we  arrived  at  the  edjre  of  an  immense 
I'ceak  m  the  ice,  extendins  east  and  west  furtiu>r  than  the 
eye  could  reach,  an.l  which  at  the  narrowest  part  was  more 
Ihan  a  hundred  fathoms  across.  .  .  .  We  climbe<l  one  of  the 
lotti.st  ice  hills.  wher<«  we  obtain.Ml  an  extensiv(>  view  towards 
the  noHh,  and  whence  we  behel.l  the  wide.  inuneasurabl(. 
ocean  spn'a.l  before  our  .,,ve.     It  was  a  fearful  and  magniii- 


2t; 


'////•;  auK.XT  wiiiTK  xniirii 


cent,  l«ut  t(»  ws:i  iii<'l:m<-Iii)ly,  sprclaflf.  I'ratrtiinits  of  ice  -f 
ciiuniKMis  >i/.c  liiKitc.l  DM  till'  .-uit'.MCf  <»f  i:.»'  anitutfd  <.<•.;, Il, 
jiihI  \\<it'  lliruwii  \>y  llif  waves  willi  awful  violt'iict-  aiiaiii>l 
the  i-ii^i'  »)l"  llu-  in-litl(|  (.11  llif  t'lirlhcr  >i<l<'  t»f  lli<'  ciianiH'I 
l)cf«.n'  us.  Tlic  (•oHi>i(tns  wfiT  s<>  1rcm<ii.ln\i<,  thai  laiuv 
musses  \U'V*'  (vny  iiislani  l.ntktu  away,  an- 1  it  was  cvidfut 
tliat  the  ])orli(>ii  of  iff  which  still  «liviil''<l  the  eliaimel  from 
the  open  oeeiiii  WouM  xioli  lie  cuiMpletclv  .lestroye'l.  Had 
we  atteriiltteil  to  have  ferried  <>U!'<elves  aero--,  upon  oue  ol 
the  lloatiiiy;  pieces  of  ice,  we  should  not  have  found  tiini 
footinj?  ui)oii  our  arrival.  Ilveii  on  our  side,  fri'sh  lanes  ..I 
water  were  continually  forming,  and  exlendiiej;  in  every 
lirection  in  the  field  of  ice  l>ehi:i'l  us.  With  a  painful  feel- 
iiifj  of  the  inii>o»il»ility  of  overcoTuinji  the  oh-tacles  which 
Nature  opposed  to  us,  our  last  hope  vanished  of  discoveriiifi; 
the  land  which  we  yet  helieved  to  exist." 

Of  the  difliculties  that  confronted  them  upon  their  return, 
A<lniiral  \'ou  Wrant^ell  writes:  — 

"We  had  hardly  iiroceeded  one  verst  when  we  fovuid  our- 
selves in  a  fresh  labyrinth  of  lanes  of  water,  which  henuned 
us  in  on  every  side.  As  all  the  floatinji  i)ieces  around  us  wen^ 
smaller  than  the  one  on  which  we  stood,  which  was  -eventy- 
five  fathoms  across,  and  as  we  saw  many  cei1uii\  inili(  ations 
of  an  ai.proachinij;  storm,  1  thou<iht  it  Letter  to  remain  (.n 
the  larjier  ma>s,  which  offered  us  somewhat  more  security, 
and  thus  we  waited  (juietly  whatever  Providfuce  should 
(leciee.  Dark  clouds  now  rose  from  the  west,  and  tlu"  whole 
atmos])here  hecame  filled  with  a  damp  vajior.  A  strong 
liree/.(>  sudilenly  spranji  u])  from  the  west,  and  increased  m 
le->  than  half  an  hour  to  a  storm.  Every  moment  huso 
m:i>^es  of  ice  around  us  were  dashed  atrainst  each  other,  and 
Uri.ken  into  a  thousand  fra.iiments.  Our  little  party  remained 
fast  on  our  ice  island,  which  was  tossed  to  and  fro  by  the 
waves.     We  ;;az«(l   in  niost   paiiiful   inactivity  on  the  wild 


PUU'I'S 


L'7 


(■(.ndict  of  tiir  .'Ictii.rit^,  .xiurtiii^r  ,.v,.,.y  „„.„„.„t  t,,  Im-  m\-iI- 
'"'^''•''   "!'■      ^^''   ''•'"'   '"■'"   thn.    i.M.K  I,,,,,,..  i„   ,|,i,  p„Ht,nn, 
:iihI  ^i.II  i1m'  im:i>,s  ..f  i(,.  lH.i„.;if|,  ,is  li,|<|  t..Kct Iht,  wImh  mi(I- 
<l''iil>   It  ua>  <-;iu;ilil  l.y  the  >1.,nM,  ;iii,l  Inirl.'.l  uKainM  a  larj..- 
<i.  I.;  nl  i,r.     Tlir  .rash  was  tcnitir,  and  thr  ma>s  lH„fatl.  us 
Av.i^    -Lin.Tc.l    i„tu   tVafiiiinils.     At    that    Wrva-lfiil    mo.nn.t, 
uii.i.  (cap..  sctiK.l  iii,iM,»il,|,.    th(    iiiipuls..  ol  >cll-i.ivsrrva- 
lioii  impla.il.Ml  in  vxvvy  hvint;  (...inu  sav.l  us.      InMinctivHy 
w.-  all  s,)rai.-  ui   ui„v  ,„i  H,,.  .sIcIkcs,  and  uiuvd  the  dcys  to 
Ih.ir  lull   siM.d.     Th.y   lieu-  a.To,-s  the   vindin-   frai,nn.n1s 
1-'   th.     h.l.l    ,,M    whi.-h    \\v    had    l,..(.n    stranded,    an.l   saf-ly 
'•- -ich.'.i  a  pan  of  it  of  iinncr  characl.T.  on  whirl,  w.tc  s.^vral 
l"inuu..rks,  and  where  th.-  d.)jr.s  i.nniediat..|v  eea.M'd  nuuiin-r 
c.n.cious.  apparently,  that  the  (hmocr  was  past.     \\v  weiv 
.sjived:     w(«   joyfully   enil.rae..<l    each    other,    and    unit.. I    in 
t  hanks  1o(.od  for  our  preservali-.M  from  such  inuninent  peril  " 
liu'  l)innary  ohjeet  of  the  I'hipps  .■xix.lition  sent  out  l.y 
tlu-  Jioyal  Society  of  Knjiland,  und.  .   lh<-  soli.-itation  of  th'e 
p.vrninent  and  all  scientific  men  of   the  time,  was  to  ivich 
llie  ^raj-netic  Pole  and  solve,  if  possihle,  th.-  caus.-s  of  the 
v:.nali.M.    of    the    compass    an.l    oth.-r    s.-i.-ntilic    i,rol.l,.ms 
\ith   two  v.'ssels,   the  liacrhorsc  and  tlw  Carcase,  Captain 
Inpps  .et  ..ut  m  177;}  an.l  skirt. -d  ih,'  .■a>t.  rn  shon-  of  Spitz- 
I'-W'u  t.>  S()°  48'  north  latitu.l.'.     I[..re  !,.■  was  iK-set  with  i.-e 
ii"'l  ••'.ul.l  proc(.,.,l  no  farther.     Ac.-.>mpanvin-  this  .■xpe.li- 
ti..n  was  youuK  Nelson,  later  the  h,-ro  of  Trafal-ar.     An  anec- 
fl"t<'   <.f   X.'lson   showing   hi.s   cuurag.-   and   daring  on    this 
tni>  IS  told  as  follows:  — 

"  Whii.-  out  in  small  l.oats  one  of  th,>  ofTi.vrs  lia.l  woun.l.'.l 
a  walrus.  .  .  Tlu-  w.)un.h-.I  animal  dive.l  immediat.-lv, 
and  I.rought  up  a  numl..-r  of  its  c.mpanions :  an.l  th.^-v 
JonH-.l  m  an  atta.-k  on  tlu-  boat.  Th.-y  wn-.t.-.l  an  oar  fron, 
oix'  ..t  tlw  m.-n,  an.l  it  was  with  th.-  utm.)st  ,lifh.-uhv  that 


I  -v   citu  .'ouk 


prevent  them   from  staviny;  or 


ui)setting  )ier, 


'_»S 


TiiK  (.1:1: AT  wiiiTK  soirni 


lill  Ni'I-oii  cMiiK"  111)  :  ;""'  ^'"'  \v:ilnis<'s,  findinji  tlu^r  cnoniics 
thus  rcciil'orccd,  di-ix  rscd.  ^o^lnJi;  NtlMUi  exposed  liiiii- 
sclf  ill  ;i  most  dariiiu;  iiiaiiiKT." 

Tlir  unfortUiKitc  siluatioii  ol'  liis  vessels  forced  I'liijips  to 
relrace  his  course  and  return  to  lOn^land. 

I'lider  instructions  to  atteiujit  tlie  iiassajjeof  Ice  Sea.  from 
lieliriny;  Strait  to  liatlin  liay,  the  ill-fated  Cook  sailed  in 
177(1,  l)Ut  failed  to  sail  beyond  Icy  (ape,  wliere  he  found 
iiiipenetrahle  ice  ;  however,  lie  reached  as  far  as  North  ("ape 
on  llie  coast  of  Asia. 

Mackenzie,  the  last  of  the  eiy;hteeiilh-century  ex])lorers,  left 
Fort  Chiijcwyan.  and  descended  the  Mackenzie  Wiiver.  a  niucli 
1  a rticr  stream  tliaii  the  Coppermine  jireviously  discovered  by 
Hcariie.  He  h)llo\ved  the  course  of  the  river  until  he  reached 
an  islaml  "where  the  lid<'  rose  and  h'U,"  hut  there  is  no  cer- 
tainty that  lie  reached  the  ocean.  The  land  ex])editions 
were  for  <feo<irapirical  discovery  and  not  for  tlie  discovery 
of  the  Northwest  Pa.ssuge,  tliat  had  occupied  iaaiiner.s  for 
so  niaiiv  vears. 


a 
I 


3 


CHAPTER   III 

Early  ninoteenth  century:  Ross  and  Parry,  .May  .i.  ISIS.  — Ol.j.ft 
of  voyag.',  jscari'h  for  Xorthwcst  Passaic  tluoii^rl,  ly,x\\s  Strait 
aiidcxplorc  hays  and  chaiiiicls  dcscriltcd  hy  HaHiii.  -Met  natives 
near  Melville  Pay.  —The  discovery  hy  Ross  of  tlie  famous  ( 'riui- 
son  ClifTs.  —  Ijiters  Lancaster  Sound.  -Advance  harred  hy  nn- 
af,dnary  Crocker  Mountains.   -  Return  of  expedition  to  Kii^land. 

—  Puchan  and  J'"rai)klin  Xort ii  Polar expedit i(in //a  C.reenlaTid and 
S|)itzl)ergen.  —  Do/v^Mm  and  Trent  in  .Majiilaleiia  Pay,  June  ;i, 
1S18.  — Reached  hish  latitude  of  S()°  .{7'  X.  -( 'oin-se  direetefl 
to  east  coast  of  (ireenland.  —  Di.si.strous  hattle  with  the  ice. — 
Dorothea  disahled.  —  Hasty  return  to  Ijigland. 

As  a  rosult  of  the  many  disastrous  voyaj-cs  to  \\\v  Arctic, 
there  was  a  long  period  of  inactivity  in  polar  research,  which 
continued  for  the  first  sixteen  y(>ars  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
Intere.st  was  revived,  however,  hy  the  astotuidinj--  report 
that  ice  which  had  cut  off  the  Danish  colonies  from  comnuuii- 
catica  with  their  native  ctnintry  for  centuries,  had  suddenly 
l)ecome  free,  and  that  certain  (Jreenlaiid  whalers  had  saileil 
to  the  seventieth  and  eijihtieth  parallel. 

The  British  Admiralty  in  conjunction  with  the  Council  of 
the  Hoyal  Society  decided  to  fit  out  two  exjieditions:  Oik. 
under  (\iptain  John  Ross  and  Lieutenant  Edward  Parry, 
who.se  ohj(>ct  was  to  force  a  northwest  i)assaf>;e  throti<>h  Davis 
Strait  and  to  explore  the  hays  and  channels  described  hy 
Baffin  at  the  head  of  the  immense  hay  that  hears  his  name. 
The  second  expedition  under  Buchan  and  Franklin  was  to 
direct,  its  course  hy  way  of  CJreeidand  and  SiiifzherKcn 
111  search  of  the  Pole,  and  make  its  way  through  iiehring 
Strait  out  to  the  Pacific. 

29 


:}0 


Tiii-J  <ii:i:AT  wiiiTK  .\oinii 


The  four  >liii)-  were  llic  Lest  ((Hiii)!)!''!  for  Ardii-  research 
thai  liad  ever  lieeii  sent  out  from  KuiihuKl.  aii<l  the  coiimiaiKl- 
(>rs  were  iiistruci.d  to  collect  all  i)o,->il)le  iuforiuatioii  that 
wouiil  i)romote  scientilic  knowlediie  in  natural  history.  }2;eol- 
ojiv.  nie1eoi-olo<iy,  and  astronomy  as  to  the  special  i)henomena 
e\i>linii  in  hi.';h  northern  latitudes. 

On  the  :id  of  May.  ISIS,  the  two  expechtions  parted 
companv  in  Brassa  Soinid,  Shetland,  and  sailed  for  their 
resix'ctive  .loiinations.  The  Isnhdbi  and  Akxamhr,  under 
the  conunaii.l  ..f  i:os>  and  Tarry,  reached  Wyjiat  Sound  on 
the  17th  of  .lune,  where  they  were  detained  by  llie  ice  ni 
cMnpanv  with  f..rtv-live  wlialers,  until  the  '2()th.  They  made 
ohservaiions  from  the  sh.,re  of  Wy-at  Islan<l,  which  they 
found  to  he  misplaced  on  the  maps  hy  no  less  than  five  de- 
crees. 

l',>  wari)in^:  and  towing  ihey  m.ade  slow  i)ron-ress,  narrowly 
mi-^>in-  dotruction  by  th<'  pressure  of  hu^e  ice-tloes,  hut 
finally'makinii  the  o!)eu  wat(«r.  Hi^h  mountains  were  de- 
scri.'d  on  the  n.)rth  side  of  thi-  bay  calliMl  by  Ross,  Mel- 
ville Hay.  the  precipices  varyinjj;  in  heij;ht  from  one  thousand 
to  two  thousand  feet. 

An  Kskimo,  .h)hn  Sach<"Uso,  who  acted  as  interpreter  to 
the  expedition,  went  ashore  and  brouj>;ht  buck  with  liim  a 
dozen  or  more  natives,  who  were  much  entertained  by  the 
hospitality  provided  for  them  by  the  ship's  company.  After 
partakin-i"  of  tr^a  and  biscuits,  a  dance  was  held  on  the  deck, 
and  of  this  (■ai)tain  Ross  «iives  an  amusing  description:  — 

"Sacheuse's  mirth  and  .joy  exceeded  all  bounds  :  and  with 
a  sood-humored  officiousness,  justifierl  by  the  important 
distinction  which  his  superior  knowledsre  now  pive  hhn,  he 
performed  the  ofiice  of  master  of  ceremonies.  An  Eskimo 
M.C.  to  a  t)all  on  the  deck  of  one  of  H.  M.  Ships  in  the  icy 
seas  of  C.reenland.  was  an  olhce  somewhat  new,  tnit  Nash 
liiuis.  if  could  not  iKive  performed  liis  functions  in  a  manner 


noss  .iA'/>  I'Aitin' 


31 


more  iijiprDpriato.  It  did  not  hclonf?  even  to  Xash  to  coiii- 
hiiic  in  liis  own  i)crson,  lil<c  .hick,  the  disfordani  (luaiificutions 
of  soanmn,  interpreter,  drau«j;l»1sinan,  and  master  of  cere- 
monies  to  a  hall,  with  those  of  an  active  (isher  of  seals  anfl  a 
hunter  of  white  hears.  A  thiuj^hter  of  the  Danish  n^sident, 
(l)y  an  ICskimo  woman,)  ahout  eijihteen  years  of  aj^e,  and 
l)y  far  the  l)est  looking;  of  the  half-caste  ^roiip,  was  the  oh- 
jeet  of  Jack's  particular  attentions  ;  which  heinj;  ohserved 
hy  one  of  our  ofHcers,  he  «ave  him  a  lady's  shawl,  ornamented 
with  spangles,  as  an  offeriii}!;  for  her  acceptance.  He  pre- 
sented it  in  a  most  res])ectful  and  not  unjfraceful  maimer  to 
the  (lam.sel,  who  hashfully  took  a  pewter  rin^-  from  her  (inser 
and  ^ave  it  to  him  in  return,  rewardinfi  him,  at  the  same  time, 
with  an  eloquent  smile,  which  could  leave  no  douht  on  our 
Eskimo's  mind  that  he  had  made  an  impression  on  her 
heart." 

Near  (ape  Dudley  Dijrjves  a  curious  condition  of  the  ice 
was  noted  hy  Captain  Ross  as  follows:  — 

"We  have  discovered  that  the  snow  on  the  face  of  the 
eliffs  presents  an  apiMvuance  hoth  novel  and  interesting, 
heing  appannitly  stained  or  covered  hy  some  suhstance  which 
gave  it  a  dee])  crim.sou  color.  This  snow  was  penetrated  in 
many  places  to  a  ili-pth  of  ten  or  twelve  feet  hy  the  coloring 
matter." 

Passing  Smith  and  Jones  Sound,  Ross  reached  the  en- 
trance of  Lancaster  Sound  hy  the  last  of  August.  "On  the 
31st,"  he  writes,  ''we  discovered,  for  the  first  time,  that  the 
land  extended  from  the  south  two-thirds  acro.ss  this  apparent 
Strait,  ohscured  its  real  figure.  During  th(>  day  nmch  interest 
was  excited  on  hoard  hy  the  appearance  of  the  Strait.  The 
general  opinion,  however,  was  that  it  was  only  an  inlet.  The 
land  was  partially  seen  extending  across  ;  the  yellow  sky 
was  perceptihle.  At  a  little  hefore  four  o'dc.ck  a.m.,  the  land 
wjis  seen  at  the  bottom  of  the  inlet  i)y  the  officers  of  tlie  watch, 


32 


Til  i:  all  EAT    W  III  T  E  y  O  I!  Til 


l.ut  hcfoiv  I  liot  oil  deck  :i  siKuv  of  :il)ou1  seven  doKrccs  of  tlu' 
cMupass  wasol.M-uiv.l  l.y  lh.'  fo-      Thi-  1:im.I  whicli  1  tlu'ii  saw- 
was  ;i  hijili  ri.ljif  of  mouiilaiiis  cxtciuliiiti  directly  across  the 
Loltom  of  the  ii>le1.     Tliis  chain  appeared  extremely  hif?h  in 
the  centre.     Although  a  pass;ijj;e  in  this  direction  appeared 
hopeless,  I  detennined  to  explore  it  completely.     I  then^fore 
continued  all  siiil.     Mr.  Beverly,  the  surj^eon,  who  was  the 
most  sanj;uiiie,  went   up  to  the  crow's  nest,  and  at  twelve 
reported  to  me  that  before  it  became  thick  he  had  .seen  the 
land  across  the  bay,  except  for  a  very  short  space.     At  three,  I 
went  on  de<-k  ;    it  completely  cleared  for  ten  minutes,  when 
I  distinctly  saw  lan.l  aroun.l  the  bottom  of  the  bay,  forming 
a  chain  of  mountains  connected  with  those  which  extended 
alon-  the  north  and  south  .Mcle.     This  land  appeared  to  be 
at  the  distance  of  ei^ht  lea^nes,  and  Mr.  Lewis,  the  master, 
and  James  Ilaifi,  leading;  man,  beinji  sent  for,  they  took  its 
bearin-s,  which  were  insert(>d  in  the  lof^.     At  this  moment 
I  also  saw  a  continuity  of  ice  at  the  distance  of  seven  miles, 
extending  from  one  side  of  the  bay  to  the  other,  between  the 
n.'arest  cai)e  to  the  north,  which  I  named  after  Sir  r,eorf2;e 
Warrenden,  and  that  to  the  south,  which  was  named  after  Vis- 
count   Castlerea^h.     The    mountains,    which    occupied    the 
centre,  in  a  nortli  and  south  direction,  W(>re  named  Crocker's 
:\Iountains,  after  the  Secretary  to  the  Admiralty." 

The  much-disputed  "Crocker  Mountains"  brought  the 
navijiator  ridi<-ule  and  discredit  u])on  his  return  to  ICufiland. 
The  "ret  urn  was  decided  upon  on  October  1,  that  date  beinj; 
the  limit  to  wliich  his  instructions  permitted  Captain  Ross 
to  remain  in  nortliern  latitudes. 

AlthouLili  the  extraordinary  blunder  cost  Captain  Ross 
reputation  and  tlic  confidence  of  his  friemls.  he  had  nover- 
theh-s-.  rendered  valuable  a.ldition  to  Arctic  knowledge;  his 
scientific  ob-^'ivations  had  been  unremitting  and  accurate. 
He  had  mapped  tlie  W(-i  coa>t  of  Davis  Strait,  had  advanced 


* 


If 


f"AI"T.\l\   Joiix    Ross,    H.\. 


Jioas  AXh  PAiniv 


33 


thrf)u^h  Baffin  Bay,  thcrchy  provinR  the  claims  of  that  fa- 
mous old  mariiKT,  aii<l  Iwul  Lccii  tlu"  first  to  mc.-t  the  Eskimos 
of  the  far  north,  who  were  to  render  siieh  valuable  assist- 
ance to  future  exjdorers. 

The  progress  of  the  Dnrothcn  and  Wio  Trent  under  the  re- 
spective commands  of  Captain  David  Buchan  and  Lieu- 
tenant-Commander John  Franklin  (later  Sir  John  Franklin) 
was  delayed  l.y  fo}.-  and  storm  until  they  sighted  ( 'herie  Island, 
latitude  7t°  ;«'  X..and  lon^ritu(h•  17°  40'  M,  famous  for  its 
herds  of  walruses  from  which  the  Muscovy  Company  had 
derived  much  profit  hy  sending  ships  to  the  island  for  oil,  tho 
crew  capturin<r  as  many  as  a  thousand  animals  in  the  course 
of  six  or  seven  hours. 

The  ships  now  encountered  small  floes  and  hujie  masses  of 
ice,  which  augmented  the  difficulties  of  i)ro>>;ress,  and  this 
Lieutenant  Becchey.  the  clever  artist  and  interesting  nar- 
rator of  the  voyaj-e,  describes  as  follows  :  — 

"There  was,  besides,  on  tho  occasion  an  additional  motive 
for  remainiuK  up ;  very  f(.w  of  us  had  over  soon  the  sun  at 
nudnij-ht,  and  this  night  happening  to  be  particularly  dis- 
torted by  refraction,  and  sweeping  majesticallv  along  the 
nortluTn  horizon,  it  was  the  ol)ject  of  imposing  grandeur, 
which  riv(>te.l  to  the  deck  some  of  our  crew,  who  would  jmt- 
haps  have  l)eheld  with  indifTeronco  the  loss  imposing  effect  of 
the  icebergs  ;  or  it  might  have  l)een  a  combination  of  both 
these  i)lienomena  ;  for  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  novelty  oc- 
casioned by  tlie  floating  masses  was  materiallv  heightened  by 
the  singular  elf.H-t  pro<luced  by  the  very  low  ahitu.le  at  which 
the  sun  cast  his  fiery  beams  over  the  icy  surface  of  the  sea. 

"The  rays  were  too  oblitiue  to  illuminate  more  tlian  the 
"H'qnahties  of  the  flo.-s,  and  falling  thus  partiallv  on  the 
grotes(,ue  sha[)es,  either  really  assumed  bv  the  ice  or  dis- 
torted by  the  imequal  refraction  of  the  atmosphere,  so  be- 
trayi-d  tlie  imagination  tiuil  it  ri'ciuired  no  great  exertion  of 


•M 


nil-:  (iULAj   will  it:  soniii 


fiiiicy  t(»  trace  in  various  dircrtions  arcliitccturtil  edifices, 
Uruttos,  ami  caves  here  and  lliei-e  ulitteriiiK  as  if  witii  pre- 
ciuus  metals.  Su  neiierali\ ,  indeed,  was  the  (h'ception  ad- 
mitted, that,  in  directinjj;  the  route  of  the  vessel  from  aloft. 
we  for  a  while  deviated  from  our  nautical  phraseology,  ami 
shaped  our  course  for  a  church,  a  tower,  a  hridge,  oi'  s(<me 
similar  structure,  insteail  of  for  humi)s  of  ice,  which  were 
usually  designated  hy  less  elegant   ai)pellatioiis. 

"After  sighting  the  southern  ))roinontory  of  Spitzhergen, 
the  two  ships  were  Jjarted  in  a  severe  gale.  The  snow  fell 
in  heavy  showers,  and  several  tons'  weight  of  ice  accunni- 
lated  aliout  the  sides  of  the  lirig  (the  Tniit)  and  ftirnied  a 
complete  casing  to  the  planks,  which  secured  an  a<lditional 
la\-er  at  each  plunge  of  the  vessel.  So  great,  indeed,  was  the 
accumulation  al»out  \he  hows,  that  we  were  ohiiged  to  cut 
it  away  repeatedly  with  axes  to  relieve  the  liow-s])rit  from 
the  enormous  weight  that  w:is  attached  to  it,  and  the  rojH'S 
were  so  thickly  covered  with  ice,  that  it  was  nece>sary  to  heat 
them  with  large  sticks  to  keep  them  in  a  state  of  readines.s 
for  any  evolution  that  might  he  rendi-red  ni'cessary,  either 
by  the  ajjpearance  of  ice.  to  leeward  or  by  a  change  of  wind." 

By  the  od  of  June  the  sliijjs  were  reunited  in  Magdalena 
liay.  Surrounding  this  harlxjur  of  refuge  are  high  moun- 
tains rising  ])recipitously  about  three  thousand  feet  high, 
the  dee])  valleys  filled  with  inunense  beds  of  snow.  The 
1eini)erature  is  ])articularly  mild  on  the  western  coast  of 
Si)itzl)ergen.  and  in  conse(iuence  there  is  a  luxury  of  Alpine 
l)lants,  grasses,  and  lichens,  also  of  animal  life,  reind<>er, 
and  flocks  of  birds,  such  as  the  auk,  willock,  gulls,  cormorants, 
also  walruses  and  seals. 

There  are  numerous  glaciers  from  which  hug(>  jneces  would 
occasionally  break  away.  Mr.  Heechey  describes  in  a  most 
interesting  way  the  fall  of  one  of  tliese  extraurtlinary  masses 
of  ice;  — 


Ill  <  IIA\    jyi,    /VMAA/./.V 


{J5 


"Tlic  fir.-t  u;i-  ()rc;i>i(,nr.l  l.y  tlic  (Ii«-liarKf  of  a  nmskct  at 
«'''""''   !'-ill'  ;i   iiiil'">  <li>t;iiir.'  I'lom  tin-  .t-laricr.      Itiiiiicliatily 
;iti.r  ihc  report  ot'  the  uuii,  ;.  ii(»i>c  ivsciuliliiijf  fliuiKlfr  was 
li'anl  ill  ilic  ilifirtioii  of  tlir  icci (citj  (jrlacHD  ami  in  a  few 
M'coii<|>  mure  an  iniiiifii.M'  iiiccc  l.rokc  away,  and  frll  hcad- 
ioM'j  into  tl.c  >(  a.     The  crew  of  the  launch,  siii)posinjj  tlicni- 
H'lvo  hcyoinl  Ihc  jv.ich  of  its  intliiciwc,  (|ui<'tly  looked  upon 
tlic  M-cnc.  wIk  n  pivscntly  a  >.  a  arose  and  rolled  toward  the 
sliore  with  -uch  rapidity,       at  the  erew  had  not  time  to  take 
any  preeaulion>.  :ind  the  i.oat    was  in  conH'tiuenee  washed 
upon  the  heacli.  and  eompletrly  filled  liy  the  succeedinjr  wave. 
As  soon  as  tlieir  ;'^lonisliinent  had  sui..^ided,  they  examined 
the  hoat,  and  found  her  so  hadly  stove  that  it  Iteeamc  neces- 
sary to  repair  her  in  order  to  return  to  the  .-.hi]).     They  had 
also  the  curiosity  to  measure  the  <listance  the  I.oat  had"  been 
carried  hy  tli(    wave,  and  found  it  to  he  ninety-six  feet." 
Descrihiny;  a  second  avalanche  he  writes:  — 
'•This  occnrred  on  a  reinarkal.ly  fine  day,  when  the  quiet- 
ness of  the  hay  was  first  interrupted  l.y  the  noise  of  the  hJI- 
iuK  hody.     Lieutenant  IVanklin  and  myself  had  .approach,  d 
oue  of  these  stupeiKhnis  walls  of  ice.  and  were  endeavorins 
1o  search  into  the  innermost  recess  of  a  deep  cavern  th;  •  w::s 
near  the  foot  of  the  {-lacier,  when  we  heard  a  report  as  if  of 
a  cannon,  and.  lurninjr  to  the  (garter  whence  it  proceeded, 
we  perceive.l  an  immense  jnece  of  the  front  of  the  l)er<>-  slid- 
inii  down  fr<.i,i  the  heijrht  of  two  hundivd  fe.'t  at  leas'?  into 
the  sea,  and  dispersing  the  water  in  every  direction,  acci.m- 
I'aiiied  l.y  a  h.ud.  grinding  noise,  and  followed  l.y  a  quantity 
of  water  which  heing  previously  lod^;,,.  in  the  "fissures  n(.w 
made  its  escape  in  numberless  small  cataracts  over  the  front 
of  the  silacier.'' 

So  jtreat  was  the  disturbaiuc  of  th.-  waters  bv  Miis  neat 
fallinji  mass  tli.at  the  Dnmlhrn  w,k  seen  to  be  c.a.v..ni,„_r  mi 
a  .iistance  of  four  miles.     After  it  became  .somewhat  .settled, 


Till-:  uiiF.AT  wiiiri:  xoinii 


tlifV  approached  it  and  foiiiid  il  to  !»<■  nearly  a  <niarter  of  a 
mile  ill  cireiimfereiice.  "  i\iio\viii-r  its  speeifie  jrravity  and 
making  fair  allowance  for  its  iMe(iualities,  ils  \veiir||t  ^vas  com- 
puted at    J2I,ti(»()  tons." 

The  sliips  left  Mafidalena  Hay,  .luiie  7,  and  made  their  slow 
way  throii>;h  hrasli  ice  which  became  thicker  and  more  im- 
peiietraMe  until  a  fortunate  breeze  di<per-ed  it.  S;iilinK  in  n 
westerly  direction,  they  encountered  several  whale-ships,  which 
reported  others  beset  by  the  ice  in  that  direction.  Captain 
Muchan  chanjied  his  course  and  stood  to  the  northward,  pass- 
ing ( "loven  Clitf,  an  isolated  rock,  marking  the  northwestern 
boundary  of  Spitzber}>vn.  Near  Red  H.iy  they  were  stopped 
by  the  ice,  and  the  chamiel  by  which  the  vessels  had  entered 
lieeame  entirely  closed.  The  ships  were  here  henuiii'd  in,  in 
almost  the  same  position  where  Baffin,  Hudson,  Poole,  Cap- 
tain I'hipps,  and  all  the  early  voyagers  to  this  (piarter 
had  been  stopped.  Of  their  perilous  situation,  Lieutenant 
lieechey  writes  :  — 

"The  ice  soon  lu'jrun  to  press  heavily  ni)on  us,  and,  to  add 
to  our  difficulties,  we  foun<l  the  water  so  shallow  that  the 
rocks  were  plainly  discovered  under  the  bottoms  of  the  ships. 
It  was  impossible,  howev(>r,  by  any  exertion  on  our  part,  to 
improve  tlie  situation  of  the  ves.sels.  They  were  as  firmly 
fixed  in  the  ice  as  if  they  had  formed  part  of  the  |)ack,  and 
we  could  only  hope  that  the  current  would  not  drift  them  into 
still  shallow<T  water,  and  damafje  them  ajiainst  the  ground." 

It  was  now  found  necessary  to  attach  the  ships  to  floes  by 
ice-anchors,  which  was  don(>  with  considerable  exertion. 

Takinjj  advantage  of  a  break  in  the  ice,  they  reached  \'o}iel 
Sann  about  .lune  2S,  where  the  crew  were  fortunate  enouKh 
to  secure  forty  reindeer  and  ])lenty  of  eider-ducks. 

On  the  »)th  of  .Inly,  Captain  Piuclian,  fiiidin<j;  the  ice  con- 
ditions favourable,  deter?iiined  to  make  as  far  an  advance  to 
th(-  north  a>  po>.sibh'.     By  most  arducnis  ial)ours  in  war])ing 


HnilAS   AM)    FliASKLlS 


87 


Mild  Irai-kiiitr.  <tc.,  he  attaiiKMl  a  latitudt-  of  SO'  :{J'  N.,  I.iit. 
Iliiiiltili  altarlicil  tn  llur-,  he  I'miiikI  liiliisflf  liciiin  cuiTird  Id 
tlir  >(»iitliuart|  l)y  the  (■tiriciil.  On  tin-  l.')tli  ami  Kitlml' July, 
Ixttli  slii|)s  >iirii'iril  (iiii^idiralili'  itc  prcssiirr.  Tlic  nine  days 
fullowinjr,  the  cnw  worked  iiiKlit  and  day  to  tree  the  ships 
ami  yet  into  ojH'n  water. 

Having  uivcn  the  ire  a  fair  trial  aiitl  pr()ve<|  it  unna\  ivjahle, 
Miichan  turneil  his  attentiitn  toward  the  ea>tern  coast  of 
(Inenland,  intending,  if  it  proved  impenetrable  there,  to 
round  the  south  ia|)e  of  Spitzl»er<ien  and  attempt  to  make  an 
advance  i)etween  that  i-land  and  Nova  Zemhia.  A  terrific 
Kale  struck  them  the  ;{()th  of  .July,  which  hrou^ht  «h)wn  the 
ice  upon  them  ami  threatened  their  itmnediate  destruction. 
Of  this  encounter  Lieutenant  Heechey  ;2;ives  a  most  vivid 
description:  — 

"In  order  to  avert  the  elfects  of  this  as  much  as  possihh-, 
a  calile  was  cut  up  into  tliirty  feet  len<rtlis,  and  these,  with 
plates  of  iron  four  feet  s<|uare,  which  had  heen  sui)plied  to 
us  as  fenders,  together  with  some  walrus  hides,  were  ji'm^ 
round  the  vessels,  especially  ahout  the  hows.  The  masts, 
at  the  same  time,  were  secured  with  additional  ropes,  and 
the  hatches  were  haltened  and  nailed  down.  By  the  time 
these  precautions  had  Iteen  taken,  our  ai)proach  to  the 
breakers  only  left  lis  the  alternative  of  either  permitting  the 
ships  to  he  drifted  broadside  auainst  the  ice,  and  so  to  take 
their  chance,  or  of  endeavorinji  to  force  fairly  into  it  liy 
inittiii};  hefore  the  wind.  .\t  len.u;th,  the  hopeless  state  of  a 
vessel  placed  liroad>ide  against  so  formidahh"  a  body  became 
ai)parent  to  all,  and  we  resolved  to  uttemjjt  the  latter  ex- 
jx'ilient." 

Heechey,  in  descriliiuM;  the  appallinp;  scene,   continues:  — 

"Xo  l.-iUfiuaKe,   I  am  convinced,  can  convey  an  ach-cpiate 

i<lea  of  the  terrific  jirandeur  of  the  etVect   now  i)roduce(l  by 

the  c()iii>ion  of  the  ice  and  the  tempestuous  ocean.     The  .sea, 


:J8 


THE  <ii:EM     WHITE   Soimi 


violciiily  :ijiit:il((l  and  rnlliny;  its  iiKtuiilaiiious  waves  against 
ail  o|)|)()>iii<i  Ixxix',  is  at  all  limes  a  .>uiiliiiie  and  awful  sijjlil  ; 
I'lil  when,  in  addition.  il  -  iieounters  immense  niasx's,  which 
il  has  >ci  in  niolion  willi  a  violence  e(|(ial  lo  its  own.  its 
elVect  is  i)rodiKio\is|y  incre.-iscd.  At  one  moment  it  hursts 
upon  lhe>e  icy  tra^nients  and  liuries  them  many  feet  he- 
nealli  its  wave,  and  the  next,  as  the  l)Uoyaii<-y  oi'  the  dc- 
pre<M'd  l)ody  struii,u,les  lor  fea>cendancy.  the  water  rushes  in 
t'o.iiiiiiiii  cataracts  over  the  ed<ies.  while  every  individual  mass, 
rockiiiji  and  lahoriny,  in  its  hed.  jrrinds  against  and  c(jntends 
with  its  opponent,  until  one  is  either  split  with  the  shock  or 
upheaved  upon  the  surface  of  the  other.  Nor  is  this  collision 
confined  to  any  jjarticular  si)ot  ;  it  is  fioinji  on  as  far  as  the 
sijiht  can  reach  ;  and  when  from  this  convulsive  scene  helow, 
the  eye  is  turiic(l  to  the  extraordinary  appearance  of  the 
lilink  in  the  sky  above,  where  the  umiatural  clearness  of  a 
calm  and  -iUcry  atmosphere  presents  ilsdf.  lM)im<le(l  i.y  adark, 
hard  line  of  stormy  clouds,  such  as  this  moment  loweri'd  over 
our  masts,  as  if  to  mark  the  conlines  within  which  the  eflorts 
ol  man  would  lie  of  no  a\ail.the  reailer  mayimajiine  the  sen- 
sation of  ;iwe  which  nnist  accompany  that  of  fj!;randeur  in  the 
mind  of  the  lieholdcr."'  And  he  continu(\s  :  "If  ever  that 
fortitude  of  se.ainen  w.as  fairly  ti'ied,  it  was  assuredly  not 
less  M)  on  tills  occasion  :  and  1  will  not  conceal  the  piide  I  felt 
in  witne.-sin;i  the  hold  and  decisive  tone  in  which  the  orders 
w<'r(  issued  hy  the  conunatider  (the  prcM'Ut  Cajnain  Sir  John 
Franklin)  of  oiu-  little  \cssel,  and  the  promjititude  ami 
steadin<'ss  with  which  they  were  executed  hy  the  crew." 

.\s  the  vessel  rapitlly  a|)])roached  the  dannvrous  wall  of 
ice,  c.ich  person  instinctively  secured  his  own  hold,  and,  with 
his  eyes  fixed  Upon  the  masts,  awaited  in  hn'atl'le<s  anxiety 
tile  moment  of  concussion.  "It  soon  arrived;  the  hriy; 
(  Tn  iiT.  cutliii<i  her  way  throiitih  the  li<j,l;t  ice.  came  in  violent 
contait   with  the  main  hodv.     In  an  instant  we  all  lost  our 


in(  IIAN  AM)    hi!  Ay  KLIN 


39 


footiiiji:    the     •,i-ts  l)(>iit  willi  the  impetus,  .-ukI  ttic  cnickiiiK 
fiiulirrs  from        :)\v  hcsiiokf  a  picssiirc  which  was  calculalcd 
to  awakfti  oi        'lioiis  ai)i)rfhriisi((iis.     'V\\v  voscl  slauwrcd 
under  lh<'  shock,  and  for  a  moment   seemed  to  recoil  ;    hut 
the    next    wave,    curiiiifj;   uj)    under    her   counter,    (hove   her 
aliout   lier  own   lenntii  within  the  marjrin  of  the  ice,  where 
she  jiav*'  o!ie   roll,  and  was  inunedialely  thrown   liroadside 
to  the   wind   liy  the  succeeding;  wa\-e.   which   heat   furiously 
aji;iin>t  her  slei'u,  and  hrou^ht   her  lee  side  in  contact   with 
thr  main  hody.  Iea\injr  h«r  weather  side  exposed  at  the  same 
time  to  a  piece  of  ice  ahout  twice  her  own  ditneiisions.     This 
unfortunate  occurrence  |)revented  the  vessel  penetratinp;  suf- 
ficiently far  into  the  ice  to  escape  the  elVect  of  the  ^ale.  and 
placed  her  in  a  situation  where  she  was  assailed  on  all  sides 
hy  hatterinn-rams,  if  I  may  use  the  (>xi)ression,  every  one  of 
which   contested   the   small   space   which   she   occupied,   and 
dealt    such    unrelenliiiu;    hlows,    that    there    api)eared    to    he 
.scarcely    any    possihiliiy    of    sa\in<i    her    from    foundering. 
I/iterally  to.-sed  from  piece  to  ])iece,  we  had  nothinji  left  l)Ut 
l)atieutly  ahide  liie   i>sue  ;     for  we  could  scarcely   keej)  our 
teet,    much    less    render   any    assislaiice    to   the    vessel.     The 
motion.  inde(«d,  was  so  ureal,  thai  the  ship's  hell,    which,    in 
tlie  heavie.-l    ^ale  of  wind,   had  never  struck  of  itself,  now 
tolled  so  conlinuall\-.  that   it   was  onlered  to  he  nuiflled.  for 
the   purpose  of  escapinu;  the  miple.-isaiit   association   it    was 
c.ilculated  to  produce. 

"In  anticipation  (tf  the  worst,  we  determined  to  attempt 
placinu;  the  Launch  upon  the  ic"  uiiiler  the  lee.  and  hurried 
into  her  such  provisions  and  stoics  as  could  at  the  moment 
he  yi.t  at.  Serious  douhts  were  reasonahly  entertained 
ol  the  ho;it  heiiio-  ahle  to  live  amonji'  the  confused  mass  hy 
which  we  were  encomp;i»cd  :  yet  as  this  appeared  to  \n  our 
only  refuse,  we  chm^;;  ti,  it  with  all  the  eafrerness  of  a  last 
resource." 


40 


77/ A'  auEAT  wiirri:  smrni 


It  W!is  only  Ion  evident  tluit  she  could  not  lonji  survive  tlio 
critical  ))osition  in  which  she  was  placi'd  and  that  the  (»nly 
salvation  lay  in  penetratinji  still  farther  into  the  ice.  To 
this  end  more  sail  was  spread,  and,  with  tln'  added  power, 
she  righted  herself,  split  a  small  ficKl  of  ice,  fourteen  feet  in 
thickness,  and  etTected  a  passa^;e  for  herself  Ix'tween  the 
pieces.  On  the  K^de  al)atinji,  hoth  ships  reached  the  ojx'n  sea, 
l)ut  were  jsreatly  disabled,  the  Dorothvd  in  a  foundering?  con- 
dition. In  this  useless  state  they  made  for  Fair  Haven, 
in  SpitzlxTfjen,  where  they  unch'rwent  necessary  rei)airs. 
Lieutenant  Franklin  urfjently  re(iuested  to  he  allowed  to 
return  to  the  interestin<f  ((uest  which  they  had  been  ohlifred 
to  al)andon,  hut  this  Ix-inp;  im]iossil)le,  owin^  to  the  shattered 
condition  of  the  ships,  the  expedition  ]nit  to  sea  the  end  of 
August  and  reached  Enf^land  about  the  middle  of  October, 
1818. 


CHAPTER   IV 


18in-lS27:  Parry's  first  voyaRo.  —  OI)j<"rt,  to  survoy  Lanras-tor 
Sound  and  prove  tlio  iioii-cxistciicc  of  Crocker  MOimtaiiis.  — 
Diseovery  of  new  lands. -- Parry  I.-lands.  —  Attains  lonnitude 
110°  \V.,  tliereliy  winninK  the  liouiity  of  five  thousand  pounds 
offere.i  l.y  Parliament .— Winters  near  Melville  Inland.  Second 
voyaRe.  -Ships  Ifahi  and  /•'/(/■//.  —  lixainines  Duke  of  York  Hay 
and  Frozen  Strait  of  Middleton.  Winters  ofT  I.von  Inlet.— 
Sledire  journeys.  —Object,  lo  make  Northwest  Pa.-<.sij;e  ria  Princo 
Reneiit  Inlet.  — Reached  Port  Bowen.— Ten  months'  impri.s- 
onment.  -  Destruction  of  the  Fm;//.  —  Hasty  return  to  Knuland. 
Fourth  voyage. —  Purpose  to  r.'ach  tlie  Pole  rid  SpitzherKen 
with  sledge  boats  over  ice.  — //rc/^/  as  transiwrt.  —  Parry's 
farthest,  .S2°  45'  N.,  reached  June  2:},  1S27. 

The  principal  ol)j(>ct  of  Linitcnant  W.  E.  Parry's  first 
voya^o  under  the  direction  of  tlic  Britisli  Admiralty  was 
to  pursue  tlio  survey  of  Lancaster  Sound,  so  abruptly  dis- 
continued hy  C"ai)tain  Ross  tlie  i)revious  yinvr,  and  (lecid<> 
the  prohahility  of  a  northwest  passap*  in  that  direction,  thus 
scttlinti  the  nuu'h-di.si)uto<l  (luostion  of  the  cxi.stence  of  the 
"Crocker  Motintains,"  which  Parry,  who  had  acc'ompanled 
Ross,  deeh'.red  from  the  first  t(;  have  been  an  ocular  illusion. 
Should  Lancaster  Soiuid  not  ])rove  navigable,  Smith  and 
Jones  sounds  were  to  be  ('\|>l()r(>d. 

Tht>  I/crla,  :{7.')  tons,  and  th(>(r'/v>r.  ISO  tons,  were  st  rength- 
ciK'd  and  provisioned  for  two  years.  Sailing  I'rom  the 
Thames  .\Liy  n.  1S1<),  they  reached  Davis  Strait  the  last 
week  in  June,  and  here  e.vpeiienced  a  good  deal  of  aimoy:ince 
from   ice,    tliiough    which    they    made   a    slow   and  diili.iilt 

41 


77/ A'   <niKAT    WHITE  SOUTH 


passiifrc  by  hfaviim  :mil  \v:>n)iii,u;.  rcai'liiiia;  Posscs-iioii  Bay 
a  iiioiilli  latci'.  I'poii  lainliii'Ji;  lln'  iiifii  were  not  a  lilllc  Mir- 
prisfd  to  .-ei'  their  own  tootpriiits  ol'  the  previous  year;  a  lox, 
a  raven,  .-miie  liii;;  liowers.  aiitl  >no\v-liuiitin^s  were  m'cii, 
al.-o  a  liee.  'I"u!ts  and  <irouii<l  phuits  <irew  in  consitleralilc 
alMMKhiliee  wherevei    tliere  was  lUoistlM'e. 

I'rofeedinu;  on  their  vo\  ajie.  tliey  reached,  Ity  An-iust  \, 
loniiitiide  .S<r  .')('•'  W.,  three  (h-firees  to  the  westward  of 
where  hmd  had  l)een  hiid  down  l)y  (  ai)taiii  Koss.  I'assinji 
throujih  [{arrow  Strait,  they  t'oinid  ice  to  >uch  an  extent 
nortli  of  Leopold  I>l;nid  that  Parry  (h'terinined  to  shape  liis 
cour.-e  to  the  so\itliward  and  e\i)lore  the  heailtifill  slieet  of 
water  to  whii-h  lie  j;a\e  the  name  of  Hef;ent  Inlet. 

Tiie  comp.'iss  now  hecanie  useless,  owinji  to  the  local  at- 
traction, and  the  hiiniacles  were  discanU'd.  Havinfi  peiie- 
t rated  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  and  havinjj;  fiiven  the 
farthest  point  of  land  the  name  of  ('ai)e  Kater,  it  was  found 
nece-sary  to  rettirn  to  the  sotitliward  or  he  caught  in  tiie  ice. 
Skirting-  tlie  north  shore  of  Harrow  Strait,  they  later  i)assed 
two  lartre  o])eirums,  to  the  first  of  which  Parry  fj;avo  the 
name  of  Welliiifiton  Channel,  also  namin«>-  various  capes 
and  inlets,  as  he  i)assed  them,  Batham,  Barlow,  (ornwallis, 
I^owen,  Byam  Martm,  ( '.rilhth,  I.owlher,  Bat luirst,  and  (tt hers. 

Navigation  now  l)ecam(>  extremely  difficult,  owinsj  to 
tliick  fojis.  hut  notwithstandinn  many  olistacles  they  reached 
the  coa>t  of  an  island  larger  than  any  yet  discovered,  which 
they  called  Melville  Island,  and  by  th.'  4th  of  S(>i)t(<mher 
l.i-uleiiant  P.arry  was  aMe  to  make  the  joyful  annoimcemont 
to  hi>  .  i-ew  (hat,  havinji  ]iassed  longitude  110°  W.,  they 
weic  entitleil  to  the  reward  of  five  thousand  jiounds  promised 
by  Parliiuiient  to  the  first  ship's  comi)any  which  .should  reach 
that  meridian. 

To  celebrate  their  success,  they  fiave  the  name  of  Capo 
Bounty  to  tlie  farthest  neck  of  land  sif^hted  in  the  distance. 


j'Ai.-nv's  rinsr  voVAtiK 


4:5 


Kvcry  ctrort  was  now  iiiadr  to  push  forwanl  in  ih.'  iMipc  of 
ivachiiij;-  l(Mi-itU(lr  ll'Af  \\  .,  tlicrcl.y  >r,-iirin;i-  tli<-  xrond  iv- 
wanl  held  out  |,y  tlic  ^(.venini.'iit .  Tlicy  lia«l  pro<iivs>r(l 
liut  a  sliort  distance  when,  to  their  f-rcat  di>appoinlni(  iif, 
farther  advance  l)eca;ne  impij.-sil.le  hy  reason  of  an  inipcnc- 
tral)le  harrier  of  ice. 

The  approach  of  winter  di'ci(h'd  Lieutenant  Parry  to  seek 
the  shelter  near  .Melville  I.^land  and  there  prepare  for  the 
loii;;-  winter  months. 

To  the  ;-roup  of  i.-lands  in  the  vicinity  of  which  he  had  taken 
refuiic,  he  {iave  the  name  of  ( leorjiian  Islands,  in  honour  of 
Ilis  Alajoty,  Kinj-'  ( leorj^v  III,  Init  later  the  name  was 
chaufred  to  I'arry  Islands. 

Knowiiifi,-  well  that  pxxl  spirits  meant  ^ood  health  in  the 
tedious  winter  months,  Lieutenant  Parry  estai.lished  a  .school 
for  his  m<'n,  as  well  as  the  diversion  of  a  ii<wsi)ai)er,  and  the 
ship's  cn'W  a<-ted  several  i)lays,  which  were  most  enthusiasti- 
cally received.  In  spite  of  enforced  exercise  and  other  meth- 
ods for  keeping  in  ^ood  i)hysical  con.lition,  scurvy  .■<h()we(l 
itself  amouf-the  crew,  and  such  antiscorbutics  as  lemon  juice, 
pi(-kles,  mustard,  cress,  and  >pruce-lH.<.r  were  put  into  recpii- 
sitioi).  Later,  snow-l.lindness  afllicted  some  of  the  men,  hut 
was  relieved  hy  washes  and  the  wvaring  of  black  crai)e  l)efor.> 
the  eyes. 

As  the  si)rinK  ai)pn)aclu-(l,  the  sliip.s  wvre  made  readv  for 
the  first  op])ortunity  t.,  es,.ui)e  from  the  ic.«,  which,  however, 
remained  impenetrable. 

On  the  1st  of  June  an  excursion  was  made  across  Melvilk; 
Island  by  Lieutenant  Parry  and  others,  ..arrving  provisions 
tor  t!uve  weeks.  They  foun.l  such  parts  of  th..  uround  as 
were  bve  from  snow  covered  with  dwarf  willow,  s.,rrel,  and 
I)(>l>py.  also  moss  an<l  .saxifrage.  A  few  ducks  and  ptarmigan 
were  kiUe.!.  Lpon  his  H'turn  to  the  ship  th<'  tniddle  of 
June,  ('ai)tain  Parry  ordered  his  men  to  make  daily  e.xcursion.s 


44 


77//;  <,i:kat  wiiiie  Mmrii 


i.ltcr  sdinl,  wliirh  tlicy  procurctl  in  larKc  (luantifics  aiiW 
tiiv.illy  <iijiiy.(|.  On  the  western  side  of  the  island  at  liusli- 
wvdU-  ('t.\c.  in  l.iddon's  Cull',  tliey  luund  "one  of  the  pleas- 
ant.st  and  most  liahitalile  spots  we  had  yel  seen  in  the  Arctie 
regions,  the  veKcialion  liein^  niore  ahundant  and  forward 
than  in  any  other  jilace,  and  the  sit  nation  slieitcn-d  und  favor- 
mI'Ic  lor  jianie." 

ihontih  channels  and  pools  were  everywhere  forming;,  it 
wa^  not  uniil  the  second  of  Au^;ust  that  the  ^reat  mass  of  ice 
Im.kc  up  ar  d  floated  out.  The  ship  now  made  for  tlie  open 
wat.  r,  l)ut  .iltc  r  ;i  short  advance,  in  spite  of  every  efVort,  tney 
toun<l  tlienis<lv(s  once  more  prevented  hy  tlie  im])enetral)l(' 
l>:irrierul  ire  from  makiiij;  their  way  west wanl.  There  s(>emed 
no  ;iittih.itive  l.iit  a  return  homeward,  and  after  takinj? 
cerlaiii  addiliunal  ol>servalions  of  the  two  coasts  extcndiuj; 
al.    1-:  Harrow  Strait,  they  set  sail  for  iMifiland. 

warm  w.  I. •cine  awaitrd  the  dariny;  navigators,  wlio  had 

r      hed  a  longitude  j^reater  l)y  more  than  oO"  than  any  other 

'■'''■;    \\''"  l''"l  dJM'overed  many  new  lands,  i.sjands,  and 

-    ha<l  estalilished  iji.   fact  of  .1  polar  sea  north  of  America  ; 

had  wintered  successfully  in  tlie  Arctic,  hrinjiin^  hack  his 

I  hi  ii»»(d  condition. 

in-y'-  uiprecedented  success  and  the  entluisiasm  for 
■  ration  •liroiiiihoul  I'lnjihind  decided  the  British 
•>  send  out  a  sec(tnd  expedition  to  attempt  a 
I  lower  latitude  than  that  of  Melville  Island. 
lid  the  Fiini  were  manned  and  provisioned  and 
I  the  comniand  of  Captain  Parry  and  Lieutenant 
.»e  tnivels  in  Trijjoli,  Mour/oiik,  and  other  jjarts  of 
iHTtliern  Africa  had  already  liroujiht  him  consideration  and 
some  deiiive  of  renown.  The  transjuirt  Xdidihis  was  to 
accomp.any  the  ships  as  far  as  the  ice.  and  transsiiip  extra 
l)rovisions  ;ind  stock  as  soon  :is  room  could  he  found  for  th(>m. 
The  ships  sailed  from  the  Xore  on  the  Sth  of  May,  1S21, 


irai 


p.:--    lil 

T>u   // 

pi;I     UJ 
I.    11)1 


I'Aintv's  sK)  ()\n  ror.if.A' 


4o 


aii.l  l.y  the  2.1  of  July  were  at  the  mouth  of  Hudson 
Mrait,  haviiifr  parlc.l  with  the  Xautilu.s  the  previous  .lay. 
I<-.'i)..rKs  ill  lornii.lal)!.'  luunhcrs  lia.l  alrca.ly  h..,.|,  ciicount.T.'.l, 
an.l  the  d.'solut,.  .-oiulition  of  the  shores,  t'h.-  iiak.-.l  r.)cks  th.' 
sn..\v-(-ov.T.-<l  vall.-ys,  an.l  th.'  thick  f.)jrs  encnuiter..!  u.t.' 
anytliinK  hut  en.-.)uraKinK. 

]'r.)j.ress  was  now  nia.le  th.-ouKh  very  heavv  floes,  an.l  l.e- 
twc'i.  strong  .-urrents,  e.l.lies,  an.l  iceherKs  th.'v  w.^re  m.-nac-.l 
l>y  s..n..us  .lanw-r  f.)r  UDn-  than  t.'u  days.  While  enihav.-.l 
III  th.-  ic.>,  th.y  sifrhte.1  n.'ar  H.'solution  Islan.l  thnr  strange 
ships  als.,  fa>t  in  the  i.-e.  Th.-se  they  lat.-r  ,nanau.-,l  t.,  join 
an.l  found  tlu-n.  t.)  h.-  Ilu.lson  Hay  (o.npanv's  tra.l.-rs  lh.' 
rnncraf  UV,/r.v,  th.-  /v%.s/o//r,  an.l  th.- Aw/  ll\///,/r//o,/,  ehar- 

t.-r.-.l  t.)  .-onv.-y  one  hun.lr.'.l  an.l  sixty  emigrants,  wh.)  int.-n.l.-.l 
.'^ctthnK  on  Lor.1  Selkirk's  .-stat.-  at  th.>  H.-.l  Hiv.-r.  Of  ihesc- 
pcopl.-  ]Jeut(-nant  Lyon  writ.-s  an  interesting  aee.)unt  :- 

"Whil.-  n.-arins  th.-s.-  v.-s.sejs,  w.-  ol)serve.l  th.-  s.-ttl.-rs 
waltzniK  «>n  .l.-ck  f.)r  ahove  two  h.)urs,  the  men  in  ol.l-fash- 
■••ti.-.l  Kray  ja.-k.-ts.  an.l  the  wonu-n  w.-arinjt  l.niK-.-ar.-.l  moh 
<':ips.  hk.-  th..s.-  used  l.y  Swiss  peasants.  .\s  we  w.-n-  sur- 
r..un.l.'.l  l.y  i,-,-,  an.l  the  thermom.-t.-r  was  at  th.-  fn-.-ziuK 
point.  It  may  1..-  sui)pose.l  that  this  UuUal  irrofnsco  affor.l.-.l 
us  inu.-h  amus.-jnent." 

•Smi.-  .lays  lat.-r  th.-y  f.-ll  in  with  som.-  llskinK.s,  who  eamo 
out  to  th.-  ships,  tlie  men  in  th.-ir  kavaks.  th<-  wom.-n  in 
th.-ir  sp,-,.,al  '•o.^miaks."  Th.-  nativ<-s  hoar.le.l  th.-  .ships 
an.l,  says  ( "aptain  Ly.)n  :  -- 

•'It    is  ,,uite    out   ..f    my  pow.-r    t..    .leseril..-    the  sh..uts 
.v.'.ls.  and  lauKht.-r  .,f  th.>  savajr.-s,  ..r  the  c.nfusion  whi.-h 
'^xisi  -.1  for  two  .,r  thr.-.-  hours.    The  f.-mal.vs  w.-n-  at  first  v.-ry 
sh.v.  an.l  unwilling  t.)  com.-  on  th.-  i.-e.  hut  l.art.-r.-.l  .v.-rv- 


tliiiiy;  from  th.-ir  l...at> 


off.  an.l  tlu-y.  in  the  i-n.l,  I 


This  timiditv,  I 


i.>w.-v(-r,  .soon  wore 


th.-  in.-n. 


H-cain.-  as  noisy  and  l...ist.-r.)ib 


as 


-Itl 


////•;  I. HEAT   WlllTK  yoiiTir 


"'I'll.'  -lr;iiiv,cr^  were  -o  well  plmxMl  in  our  MX-icly,"  ron- 
liiiuts  (';i|)i;iiii  Iaoii.  "'lliat  tlii'>-  >li(»\v<'<l  no  \vi>li  to  leave  ii>, 
ami  wlieii  llie  ni.iilxet  liaii  (piile  rea>eii,  lliey  liejian  daiiciiiK 
and  |ila\inz  uilli  oiir  people,  on  the  ice  aloMs;si(le. 

"In  order  to  aniu^e  our  new  ae(iuaintaiice>  as  inucli  as 
po--il)!e,  t!ie  liddler  was  >ent  on  the  ice,  where  lie  instantly 
hiund  a  nio>t  delight  fill  >et  of  d.inet  rs,  of  whom  some  of  the 
women  kept  pretty  jiood  time.  Their  only  figure  eonsistcil 
in  -tainpinii  and  jumping  with  all  their  mi^ht.  Our  musi- 
cian, who  wa-  a  lively  fellow,  soon  caimht  the  infection,  and 
Itejian  ciittinti  cajx-rs  als(».  In  a  short  time  every  one  on  tho 
floe,  officers,  men.  and  savaiies,  were  dancinu;  tou;ether,  and 
exhiliited  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  si;:hts  I  ever  wit- 
ne-sed.  One  of  oiu-  seamen,  of  a  fresh.  rud<Iy  comj)lexioii, 
exciti'd  the  admiration  of  all  th(-  younu;  females,  who  patte(l 
liis  face  and  dance(l  round  him  wherever  he  went.  'I'he  ex- 
ertion of  ilanciny;  so  exhil.arated  the  i;.>kimos.  that  ihey  ha<l 
the  appearance  of  l)ein«r  hoisterou-ly  drunk.  ;uid  played  many 
extraordin.ary  pranks,  .\moni:-  others,  it  was  ;i  favorite  joke 
1o  run  -I.\l\'  liehind  the  seamen,  and  sli(iiitinii  loudly  in  one 
e;ir.  to  ni\c  tliem  at  the  >;inie  time  a  very  smart  slap  on  tlio 
other.  While  lookiiiy;  on,  I  was  shar['!y  saluted  in  tlii.s 
mannei'.  and.  of  course,  wa-  (piite  startled,  to  the  jireat  aimise- 
ment  of  tlie  liy-tander-.  ()\\v  cook,  wlio  was  a  most  active 
.-Mid  unwe.arieil  jumper.  l.e<anie  so  ure.at  a  favorite,  that  every 
one  hoxecl  his  ears  so  .-oundl.v  as  to  oi)li;ie  the  pitor  man  to 
retire  from  <uch  boisterous  ni.arks  of  appnthation.  .\monji; 
other  >|)orts,  -ome  of  the  Fskimos.  rather  rou<>hly  hut  with 
Ure.it  iiooil  hiiMior.  challeived  our  jieopN-  to  wrestle.  One 
m.an  in  particulai'.  who  hail  tlu'own  s.'veral  of  hi-  countrymen, 
att.acked  an  ollici'r  of  a  very  -ti-ou'i  in;ike.  Iiiit  the  poor  savair<' 
w.i-  in-tantly  thrown,  with  no  \-er\  ea-\-  fall  :  yet.  alttuaijih 
e\'ry  one  w.-i-  laiiiihinu-  ;i1  him.  he  liore  it  witli  exempla'y 
.iiood  humor.     TIk    >ame  otlicei'  afforded  us  much  diversion 


lUo/.F.y    sTIiMT 


or  MlhDLKiox 


I'.V    Icjichilljr   ;i    |.,,.„,,    |,;„.,y   ,,f 


tiamls.  turn  llicjr  ii 


woiiKii  to  Low,  (•(Hirtcsv,  sli:ik 


"III,  and  iHTt'onii  oilier  polit, 


pl»l.rn..nts;    tn.-  whol,.  ,,:uty,  niast.T  aii.l  pupil 
till'  sirictot  uravitv 


atroni- 


i'lipils,  |)n'scii1in« 


lull 


Touar.l  iiii,lni-|,l  all  (•ur  men,  (-xcept  tlir  wat.-l 

'■-I  i'"'»"";ifl'-.ls,  :,mltl..-tali;;u.".laM.lhun;rrv  j';>| 


I  oil  (leek, 


ri'luriird  to  their  l.uats  to  take  tl 


klliio- 


H'lr  supper,  wliich  conMsted 


•'■  I'n.ips  of  raw  llesh,  ami  MuI.Ikt  of  seals,  l.ird 
<'tc.  ;    lickiiij;  their  fiuiicrs  with  <rreat 


•  ntrail 


«ir  fin 


z''st,  and  with  I 


fi'Ts  serapinii-  the  i.lood  and  grease  whieh  ran  down  tl 


kiincs 


(•liiiis  into  their  nioiitli 


icir 


I' 


i'y  nia.le  an  exainiiiation  of  Duke  of  York  Rav.  and  th 


'-'Olhof  Aii-ust  ivached  tiM'  I 
<lays  later  the  Ihvln  and  /.',/ 


I'ozeii  Strait  of  .Mid.H.t 


on. 


Wo 


;i  careful  exaniinalion  of  the  si 


.VJiot  well  into  liep,,!.,.  Mav,  and 


'ores  was  made  l>y  parties  of 


ollicersan.i  ni..n  in  l.oats.     liy  theMl^t  of  Au-u.t  tl 
<.on.  I5ay.  which  w.is  packed  with  ic,>.     I 
lo^js,  northerly  winds,  and  1 


K'V  reached 


.iicounterinj,'  thick 


-plti'   (»t    rxi'vy  exertion    tl 

!••"  i"  '"ox<'haniH.|  from  which  thev  liad 


K'Hvy  ice-floes,  they  found  tl 
i«'y   were  heimr  carried  hack  to  th 


lat  in 


lielori 


n 


onvwr.     they    later    niadt 


started  some  d, 


ivs 


anchored  near  Lvon   Inl 


ct. 


some    advance    and 


ly  in  OctoI.er  theshido 


:•■.  or  youn-i  ice,  heo-an  to  for 


^^•M^!!M;,  ol  appr.,achin«  winter,  to  1...  followed^ 
paiicak.-  ic..  and  hay  ice,  whici 


in.  a 


'only  l<v  the 


winter  (luarteis  for  the  sh 


1   nece 


^itated  findinir  at 


l>s.      The  southeast  ext 


onci! 


isi:.nd  oin.yon  Inlet  was  selected,  an.l  called 


ii'd  the  inoiiotonou-,  winter  clo-.'d 


rcniity  of  an 
^^'ill1«•r  Islaiul. 


'i"l 


K'    liMial    theatrical    d 


III  upon  them  shortiv  aft 


cr, 


•■Mtertainmeiit  of  il 


we 


iversions    Were 
K'  '-rew,  and  the  ••Rival." 


.•mother  successful  phiy.     Tl 


provided    for    tl 
"  W;is  pre>ei.,(d  , 


'   -•I'ool    estaMishe-l    |,y   1),,.  „jHcers   and 


K'  rrew  took   kiii.llv 


;is 
to 


""•"';d  and  i)hysic;!l 
ill  good  health  and 


to   other    forms   of 


'";l'vityd..Mi.n,.d   to  keep  the  exped 


^l>irits.     Christi 


p<diti()n 
nas  was  celehrated  with 


48 


riiH  i.iihAi'  1(7////;  yoiiTii 


csprciul  jiuoil  cliccr.  :iiii|  i]iijrli>Ii  roast  hccf.  which  hud  Imtii 
kipt  liy  licinti  ln»z<  ii.  was  xTVi'd,  as  well  as  craiilx-rry  pies 
ami  phiiii  |)U(ltiiii,us.  The  fClcct  of  the  inlciisc  cold  upon  ccr- 
laiii  of  their  stores  is  iiitcrcstinn  :  - 

"Wine  Iro/c  ill  ihc  liottlo.  Port  was  cotincah'd  into  thin 
pink  kimiiur,  which  lay  loosely,  and  occupied  the  whole 
lenjlth  uf  the  liottle.  \\  hite  wine,  oil  the  contrary,  froze  into 
a  solid  and  perfectly  transparent   mass,  roenihliiiK  aniher." 

On  the  l.'dh  of  March,  a  party  under  ('ai)tain  Lyon  started 
out  to  explore  the  land  near  the  ships  ;  they  were  provisionetl 
for  three  or  four  days,  hut  their  experience  was  most  unfor- 
tunate. The  cold  was  intense,  their  tents  at  ni^ht  alTordinji 
little  protection  ajijainst  the  frif^ht fully  low  temixrature. 
They  spent  some  time  di^fjinj;  out  a  snow  hut,  which  they 
h'lted  would  prove  warmer,  hut  this  was  hardly  more  satis- 
factory. The  followiiiif  morning!;  they  found  themselves 
almost  lnnie<l  with  snow  which  had  drifted  at  nijiht  during 
a  fierce  fiale  which  now  raji;e<l.  .Ml  ])araphernalia,  sledges, 
etc.,  were  completely  buried.  To  remain  where  they  were 
was  as  imjiracticahle  as  to  move  on.  Carrying  with  them  a 
few  poimds  of  hread,  .some  rum,  and  a  s])ade,  the  ])arty  set 
out  in  the  hope  of  reachin<i;  the  ships.  Captain  Ly«)n  records 
their  sulTeriiifis  as  follows  :  — 

''Not  knowiu}!;  where  to  jj;o,  W(>  wandered  amonji;  heavy 
humm»)cks  of  ice,  and  sulTering  from  cold.  fatif:;ue,  and  anxi- 
ety, were  soon  comi)letely  bewildered.  Several  of  our  l)arty 
now  liejian  to  exhibit  sym|)tons  of  that  horrid  kind  of  insen- 
.'"ibility  which  is  the  ])relude  of  sleep.  They  all  i)rofessed 
extreme  willingness  to  do  what  they  were  told  in  order  to  keep 
in  exercise,  but  none  obeyed  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  reeled 
about  like  dnmken  men.  The  faces  of  several  were  ,s(>verely 
frost  bitten,  and  some  had  for  a  considerable  time  lost  sensa- 
tion in  their  lingers  and  toes  ;  yet  they  made  not  the  slightest 
exertion   to   rub  the   parts   alTected,   and  even  iliseontinued 


7A;.V  Mny Ills'   IMl'l;Ls(t.\,\iJ.:\T 


4J> 


tlicir  general  custom  of  wariiiiin  'acli  oilier  on  oli 


<!lS('0 


*<Tviiij;  a 


location  of  the  .skin.     Mr.  I'aliiicr   tinplu.v.d  tlic  ixuplt 


in  Idiildinn  a  snow  wail.  o,stcn>ii>l 


y  as  a  .slu-hcr  Ironi  I  he  win<l, 


hut  in   fact    to  nivc  tlimi  exercise    wlii-n  stand 


have  proved  fatal  to  men  in  our  circunist; 


mn  still  must 


tiun   was  exclusivelv   directed   to  Se 


itice.s.      Mv  atten- 


havinn  l>een  repeatedly  warned  tliat  liis  i 


ryeant    Speckman,   wli 


o. 


lose  w 


as  fp 


'o/en.  had 


paid  no  attention  to  it,  owin^  to  the  state  of  .slupefaction  int( 


which  he  had  fallen.     The  fro.st  hit 


<iile  of  his  face,  which  was  frozen  as  hard 


e  now  extended  over 


one 


lids  were  stiff  and  one  <-ornerof  tl 


!is  a  mask  ;  the  eve 


to  expose  the  teeth  and  «ums.     Mv  hands  1 


ic  upper  lip  so  drawii  upa.- 


xniK  still  warm.  I 


iKul  n 


[ippiness  in  restoring  circul.ation,  after  which  I  tised  all 


my  endeavors  to  keep  the  poor  fellow  in  motion  ;  hut  I 
plained  sadly  of  fj;iddin<'ss  and  dimness  of  sinl,t,  and  was  so 


le  com- 


vak  as  to  he  unahle  to  walk  without  assistance 
as  so  alarminu  that   I  expected  everv  moment  h 


H 

woul( 


IS  case 


down  never  to  rise  a^ain. 


'Our  prospect  now  hccame  every  moment  more  gloomy,  and 
it  was  hut  toopnd.ahle  that  four  of  our  party  would  he  unahle 
to  survive  another  hour.  Mr.  Palmer,  however,  endeavored, 
as  well  as  my.self,  to  cheer  the  people  up.  hut  it  was  a  faint 
attempt,  as  we  had  not  a  siiiffle  hope  to  nive  them, 
piece  of  i<-e.  or  even  of  small  rock  or  st 
to  !)('  the  .ships,  and  wv  had  urcat  difficult 


!• 


verv 


one,  was  now  supj)osed 
y  in  preventing  the 


men  from  runninji  to  the  ditf.Tcnt  ol.jects  which  attracted 
them,  and  con.se(iuently  lo.sinji  themselves  in  the  drift.     In 


tins  state,  while  Mr.  Pah 


ner  was  runniiifr  round  us  to  war 


liiniselt.  he  sud.lenly  pitche<l  on  a  new  heaten  track,  and 


m 


e.xerci.se 


was  indispensahle,  wv  determined  on   foil 


,  owiiiK   It, 

wiierever  it  miKJit  l(«a(l  us.  Haviiifi  taken  the  Serjeant  und.T 
my  coat,  he  recov(>red  a  littl(<.  and  we  moved  onward,  when 
to  our  infinite  joy  we  found  that  the  path  led  to  tlu-  .s} 


It 


was 


lips 


not  until  th(>  2d  of  July  that  t.'ie  .ship.s,  free  fr 


om 


MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TEST    CHART 

-ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


■  m 

i:  iiiM 

I:  m 


1.4 


|Z5 
Z2 

12.0 
1.8 

1.6 


^     /APPLIED  IM/IGE     Ir 


■Lre«!e-.    Ne»    vork  14609        USA 

■•e      482  -  0300  -  Phone 
"1.;    .-'8H      S989  -  Fa. 


Tin:  (iUEAT    WIIITK  yOUTIl 


ice  for  the  lirst  tiinc  in  2(t7  (l;iys,  put  to  sea,  l)Ut  not  witliout 
(laiiiicr  of  s(iuccz('s  from  the  niovinu;  icc-tlocs  .  "lich  frctiuciitly 
tlin-alciicd  tlic  (l('<ti'uclion  of  tlic  ship.  Pum..ii>j;  to  liic  iKtrlli- 
ward,  llii'v  cnlcrtaincd  hi,iili  hopi>  of  making;  tlic  lookcd-for 
passaiic  to  the  Polar  Sea,  luit  uufortuiiatt'ly  a  forinidai)l('  line 
of  inipcnctralilc  ice  !i;irrcd  the  way  and  dctcrinincd  Parry  to 
make  an  cxpcililion  aloiisj;  the  frozen  surface  of  tlu'  strait  in 
which  they  found  ihcnisclvcs. 

For  founlays  Parry,  accoini)anicd  hy  a  jKirty  of  six.  made  a 
laborious  and  fatiiiuinti  advance  over  the  uneven  hununocks 
of  ice  that  confronted  lln'ui.  At  times  open  water  nuule  the 
journey  still  more  p(>rilous.  Their  exertions  were  at  last 
rejjaid  when  they  <'ame  in  view  of  a  bold  (•ai)e,  where  they 
founil  the  strait  at  it-  narrowest  part  about  iwo  miles  across. 
To  the  westward  the  land  receded  until  it  became  invisibl(>, 
and  ('ai>tain  Parry  beheld  the  great  Polar  Sea,  into  which  he 
had  long  hoped  to  force  his  way.  Naming  this  tlie  Fury  and 
Hecla  Strait,  he  made  ready  for  the  return  to  the  sliips. 

Taking  ailvantage  of  every  favouralile  condition,  Captain 
Parry  now  made  as  ra])id  progress  toward  his  goal  as  the  ico 
would  i)ermit.  Under  full  sail  they  ])ushed  into  the  rotten 
ice  that  formed  the  barrier  to  the  ojk'U  water,  iiut  su(l(k"nly 
they  lu'came  fixed, --  not  another  yard  coulil  l)e  gaine(l.  It 
was  now  found  necessary  to  extricate  the  vessels  and  seek 
shelter  for  another  long  winter.  On  the  30tli  of  October,  l)y 
the  usual  operation  of  sawing,  th(>  shijjs  were  drawn  into  the 
harbour  of  Igloolik,  and  made  ready  for  the  winter,  which  was 
now  ra])idly  closing. 

Fxc\u-sions  were  occasionally  ma(k'  with  (k)gs  and  sledges 
bought  of  tlie  Fskimos.  but  the  season  settled  down  with 
unusual  severity  and  the  second  long  winter's  night  i)roved 
mucli  mor(>  trying  lli:in  the  first.  l)(>ath  and  scurvy  nuuh' 
their  lamentable  ap])earance,  and  although  ("ai)tain  Parry 
desired  to  make  another  effort  the  following  year  by  transfer- 


i)i:sTiH(Ti().\  or  the  vrnv 


51 


ring-  to  th..  Funj  all  provisions  lluit  coiii.!  1„.  >j,,n.,l,  un.l  «mi<1- 
mi;-  thr  lluln  hom."  uitii  ih.  sirk,  this  i.n.j.Tt  u-a>  aluindoncl 
^^";    <>"  ll'<-  '.tth  of  AuKu.t  tiu.y  lunicl  their  fares  ho.n.nvanl' 

Ih.'v  1ou,-h...l  at  Winter  Isian.l  an.l  found  radishes  nuis- 
tanl,ere>-  an.l  onions  that  1h..y  had  plant.-d  th.-  previous 
y.ar  .till  ahv...  The  ships  were  .Irifted  al.out  in  a  stonuv  sea 
•■'1  the  mercy  of  ice-floes  and  a.lverse  curn-nls.  Not  nnlil 
N.ptcn,l,er  2A  did  they  j.<"t  fnv  into  Ihe  Atlantic;  and  the 
"'11'  "'  <»<-1«.l><T,   182;i.  reache,!   Lerwick.  Scotian.l 

lln^    expe.lition    havin-    prove.!    the    inipracli.-al.ilitv    of 
a  passa-e  ihrouo-h  tlu-  uvst.-rn  .>xtr..niily  of  Melville  Isian.l  .>r 
l>y  way  ol  Fury  an.l  II..cla  Sn-ait.  it  was  ho,,..,l  that  a  passa-v 
nnuht  1„.  a.ToniplislH.l  ihrou-h    Prin.v    R^.o^nf    I„l,.t      For 
tlH^  purijos...  Captain  I'arry  was  a,uain  fitte.l  out  in  the  Ihch, 
an.l  n,  the  ac,.id.-n1al  a!.s,.nce  of  Captain  Fvon,  Li.-ut..nant 
"'/i'l'nyr  was  put  in  .-..nunan,!  of  the  Fury.     Th.-  .-xp.-.lition 
•ja.l.'d  ..o.n  Northlleet  on  the  10th  of  May,  1821,  an.l  .-nten-.l 
Davis  Mrait   about   th,-  nii.ldh-  of  Jun,-.     Lan.-aster  Sound 
was  n.,t   r.-a,.hed  until  S.-ptt-mlu-r  10,  an.l  Port   n.>w,-n  was 
n>ade  tu-ir  winter  quarters.     After  ten   m.mths'   impris.m- 
".  ■nt,    he  ships  w.-re  onc-e  nion-  fn-e,  hut,  lat.-r  ..vertaken  l.v 
.al-s.  holh  shi,.s  sustain.-.!  s.-ri.>us  .laniao-,-.     Drift  i.-.-  cau^dit 
"■'"  ^""'  thn.at,-ne.l  inun.-.Hate  .lestnu-iion.     Tlu-  Fury  ^as 
•'■■"wn  on  slH.re  ami  s.-riously  .lanui-.-d.     Later  it  was  foun.l 
'  —ary  to  alnui.lon  h.-r.     Th.-  Ilrcln,  now  .,v,-rcrow.le.l  l,v 
1-  provisions  and  .-rew  of  th.-  Fury,  .-.mU.!  n.,  l.mo-c,.  ^^ivm^ 
-■•  '-urs..  and  was  fore,..!  to  return  to  Fn,lan.l.     I?ilt.-r  as  was 
|'--n.appon,,nu  nt.  Parry  .-hm^  to  the  i.lea  that  a  northwest 
n.-  day  ho  acc.miplished,  and  to  this  end  ho 


'.•i--a,!:'e  would  ,^,)i 
wrote 


1.-   confident  that  the  un.l.-rtakins,  if  it  h,-  d.vme.l  a.l- 

<al.!.' ::t  any  |,„u,.,  time  to  pursue  it.  will  .,iH-  .lav  .,r  other 

j;;;';i'l-!-'I:    *"-etthi.  aside  tl,.-   a.-M.-nts  "to  whi.-h, 

*"""  tl-u- v..ry  nal-are.  su,.h  attempts  must  he  liable,  as  W.-II 


52 


THE  ailKAT    WHITE  NOUTlf 


as  other  unfav(»nil)l('  circuiiistaiiccs  wliicli  Imniaii  foresight 
call  never  gnanl  a<i;aiiist,  or  human  power  control,  I  cannot 
but  lu'Heve  it  to  l)e  an  enterprise  of  practical )iHty.  It  may 
he  triecl  often  and  fail,  for  several  favorable  and  fortunate 
circumstances  nuist  be  coml)ined  for  its  accomplishment  :  but 
1  believe, nevertheless, that  it  will  ultimately  be. 'i,cc()mi)lislied." 

"I  am  much  mistaken,  indeed,"  luM-ontinues,  "if  the  North- 
west l'assas>;e  ever  becomes  the  business  of  a  single  summer; 
nay,  I  believe  that  nothing  but  a  concurrence  of  very  favor- 
able circumstances  is  likely  ever  to  m;ike  a  single  winter  in 
the  ice  sufficient  for  its  accomplishment.  Rut  there  is  no 
argument  against  tiie  possibir..y  of  final  success;  for  wo 
know  that  a  winter  in  the  ice  may  be  passed  not  only  in  safety, 
but  in  health  and  comfort." 

"I  in  Ai)ril,  182(),"  writ(>s  Captain  Parry,  "proposed  to  the 
Right  Honorable  N'iscount  Melville,  the  first  lord  commi.s- 
sioner  of  the  .\dmiralty,  to  attempt  to  reach  the  North  Pole 
by  means  of  travelling  with  .sledg(>-boats  over  the  ice,  or 
through  any  spaces  of  o))(>n  water  that  might  occur.  My 
proposal  was  soon  afterward  referred  to  the  president  and 
council  of  th(>  Royal  Society,  who  strongly  n^commended 
its  adoption  ;  and  an  cxjiedition  being  accordingly  directed 
to  be  equipped  for  this  purpose,  I  had  the  honour  of  l)eing 
ai)pointe(l  to  the  conmiand  of  it  ;  and  my  connnission  for  his 
majesty's  shiji  the  Ilccla,  wliich  was  to  carrj'  us  to  Spitz- 
bergen,  was  dated  the  11th  of  Noveinlu^,  1826. 

"Two  boats  w(>re  construct(>d  at  Woolwich,  under  my  su- 
perintendence, after  an  exc(>llent  model  suggested  by  Mr. 
Peake,  and  nearly  resembling  what  are  called  'trooj)-boats,' 
having  gr(>at  flatness  of  floor,  witli  the  extreme  breadth  carried 
well  forward  and  aft,  and  po.ssessing  the  utmost  buoyancy,  as 
well  as  ca|)acity  for  storage.  Their  length  was  twenty  feet, 
and  their  (>xtreme  breadth  seven  feet.  The  timbers  were 
made  of  tougli  ash  and  hickory,  one  inch  by  half  an  incii 


I'AiUty's   FOVRTll    yOYAGE 


r>3 


sfiiuuv,  iiiid  u  foot  iipiirt,  with  a  'half  tii.ilxT'  of  smullcr  siz<> 
Ix'twmi  (>ach  two.     On  the  outside  of  the  fniini>  thus  f..rm(Hl 
was  laid  a  covcrinjr  of  Alackintosirs  water  proof   canvas, 
the  outer  part  heiiifj;  covered  with  tar.     ( )ver  this  wa>  placed 
a  plank  for  fir,  only  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  thick  ;   then 
a  sheet  of  st.Mit  felt  ;   and  over  all,  an  oak  plank  of  the  same 
thickness  as  the  fir  ;  the  whole  of  these  heiii}.-  firmly  and  closely 
secured  to  the  tinilx-rs  by  iron  screws  ap])lied  from  without.'' 
"On  each  side  of  the  keel,"  contiimes  Captain  Parrv,  "and 
projectiiifr  considerably    l)(>low   it,    was     attached   a"  strong 
'runner  '  shod  with  smooth  ste(>l,  in  the  manner  of  a  sledge, 
upon  which  the  boat    entirely  rested   while    ui)on  the  ice.'' 
Tw-o  wheels  were  also  attached,  but  soon  discarded  as  useless, 
owins  to  the  unovenness  of  the  ic(\ 

Two  officers  and  twelve  men  were  selected  for  each  boat's 
crew.  The  Hecla,  acting  .^.s  transi)ort  for  the  adventure 
sailed  March  27,  1827,  and  made  Hakluyt's  Headland  l,y  tlu' 
13th  of  May,  where  she  was  shortly  beset  bv  an  ice-flo(>  which 
earned  her  off  to  the  eastward,  causing  both  (U>Iav  and  v(>xa- 
tion.  For  the  safety  of  the  Hecla  it  was  found  necessary  to 
return  to  SiMtzbergen  and  secure  anchorage  in  a  safe  harlwur. 
This  Parry  accomplished  and,  finding  a  convenient  recess 
^v'lnch  he  nam(>d  Hecla's  Cove,  made  ready  for  the  main  object 
of  the  exjiedition. 

Having  with  him  seventy-one  days'  provisions,  consisting 
of  pemmican,  biscuit,  cocoa,  and  rum,  with  spirit  of  wine  to 
be  used  as  fuel,  chang(>s  of  warm  clothing,  thick  fur  dresses 
for  sleeping  in,  and  stout  Eskimo  boots,  he  got  away  June 
22,  and  proceeded  in  open  water  some  (>iglitv  miles,  when  the 
boats  came  to  a  trying  condition  of  mixed  surface  ice  and 
water,  through  which  it  was  found  neeessarv  alternatelv  to 
haul  and  float  them.  Owing  to  the  better  condition  of  the 
u-e,  it  was  deemed  liest  to  reverse  the  usual  course  of  life 

"Travelling  by  night  and  sleeping  by  day,"  writes  Captain 


4 


I  in:  '.I!i:m    wtiiii:  Mumi 


l';iiTV   ••>(.  (•.,in|,|,.i,|v  iiivrii,.(l  111,,  luilunil  or.l,,-  „r  tl,i„jv,s 
<!';it     It     ua>    .iiiiiciill     1,,    iutmukIc    ours.lvrs    „f    ila.    ,v;ilily 
J-Vcii  the  ..tlic,.r>  and   inyM^ll.    who   uviv  ail    luini>lu.,l    uit'h 
I'ock.t  .•hn.iM.in.trrs.  ....ul.!  not  always  hear  in  niin.l  at  wliid, 
|)art  ol  th..  twcnty-loiir  houis  wr  had  arnvcd  ;  and  their  wciv 
M'vcral  ..f  the  men  who  d.claivd,  and  I  hvWvxv  trulv,  that  \Uvy 
...■vcr   knew    injihi    l.„,n    day    during   tlic    whole"  excui>i<,i".. 
When  we   f,.se   ni   liie  even  in-.,  we  conmienced  our  .lay  hy 
pniyers  ;  alter  which  we  took  oil  uur  fur  shrpin-  dresses  un'd 
l>ut  on  ••lothes  lor  travellin-,  the  lornier  hein-  made  c.f  camlet 
lined  with  raccoon  skin,  and  the  latter  of  Mron-  blue  cloth. 
W  e  nuide  a  point  alway.  of  puttin-  on  the  same  stockinus  and 
I'oots  lor  travelling  in.  wlniher  they  had  Inrii  dried  during; 
the  day  or  n..1,  an.l  I  helirve  it  was  only  in  five  or  six  instances 
:it  the  most  thai  they  wer(>  not  eiii„.r  still  wet  or  hard  frozen. 
This  mdee.l  was  of  no  conse.,uence.  heyond  the  discomfort  of 
fir>t   puttinn-  them  on  in  this  stale,  as  thev  were  siuv  to  he 
Ihorou-hly  wet  in  a  (|uarler  of  an  hour  after  commencini-- ..ur 
j'mrney  :   while,  on  th.-  other  liand,  it  was  of  vital  importanco 
to  keep  dry  thin.us  for  sleepin-  in.     I',ein<>;  'ri,u.>cd'  for  travel- 
ling.   W(-    I„'eakfas1e.l    upon   warm    coc<,a    and    I.iscuit,   and 
after  stowin-  the  thinus  in  hoats.  an<l  (.n  the  sh-d-,.s,  so  as  to 
secure  them  as  much  as  possiMe  fr„„,  th(>  wet.  we  set  off  on 
onr  day's  ,i.)urney  and  usually  travelled  four,  five,  or  .s,-ven 
hours,  according  to  circumstances." 

They  m:ide  v(>ry  slow  pro-ress  in  spite  of  their  strenuous 
exertions.  (,wino.  t,,  the  floes  heinu"  small.  excee<liiiolv  n.ui-h, 
and  intersected  hy  lanes  of  wat.'r  which  could  not  hv  cross.Ml 
without  unloading  the  hoats.  Rain  added  to  their  discom- 
fort. c;uisin<ithe  ice  to  form  into  mmiherless  irreoular  needl(>- 
lik<'  crystals,  which  itroved  very  tryini;-  to  the  feet.  Klevated 
hunnuocks  presented  thems.'lves.  over  which  it  was  almost 
impov>iI,l,.  to  dniw  the  hoats. 

Even  by  the  utmost  efforts  they  could  not  make  an  ad- 


PAinn-'s  Fonrni  voyauk 


i>i) 


VHiicc  of  more  than  a  mil.-  and  a  liall'  or  i 


wo 


>l\  luniv: 


n 


mill 


•  •ali/iiij>;  llic  uiita\oural 


s  in  five  or 


lie  COi 


iililion>  for  rcacliinjr 


llu-  ix.lc,  o\vinj>to  the  advance.  I  M.;t>,,ii  of  the  year,  I'an 
n'lin(|uishcd  thai   hope  and  l>cnt   1 


irr\'  soon 


Ix'sl  llic  .sr  i)arallcl,  if  ixosil.lc.     Hnt 
couruKciMcnt  i<  was  found  that  the  drift 


lis  cncrjiirs  to  rcacliiny;  at 


was  i: 


radiiali 


now  to  liis  utter  dis- 
n-;'  of  the  snow  fields 


y  eariyin-  them  IkicIv Ward,  and  thai,  in  spite  of 


every  attempt  to  advance,  thev  wi  re  dailv  1 


osnit;  uround 


On   .Inly    2:!,    they    reached    their    fartliest    north,   ,SL>^    }.-, 


At  tl 


ic  extreme  pomt  of  our  journev 


sav 


ari'v. 


tance  from  tiie  JInl,!  was  (.nly  one  hundred  and  s 


(II 


ivd 


miles  ui  a  .^, 


W 


IS- 

i'Veii1v-1wo 


direction. 


«)  acconii)h>h  this  (hstance 


had  traver-ed,  hy  our  reckoniim.  1uo  huiKhvd  and 
miles,  of  which  ahout  one  hundred 


l)reviously  to  our  enterino;  tl 


we 

ninety-two 

were  perfornK'd  hv  water 


■reater  i)art  of  our  distance  on  ll 


le  ice.     As  we  travelled  \>y  far  tl 


le 


(luently  five,  times  over, 


le  ice  three,  and  not   unf 


re 


we  may  safely  multiply  the  len<;1h  of 


ce,  on  a 


the  road  hy  two  and  a  half;   so  that  our  whoh"  distan 

very  moderate  cah-ulation,   amounted  to  five   hundred   and 

cijihty  f-cooraphical,  or  six  hundred  and  sixtv-<iivht   statute 


miles,  hem-i,-  nearly  sufficient  to  hav(>  reached  the  i)o!e  in  a 
direct  line.  I'p  to  this  ])eriod,  we  had  h<'en  particularly  for- 
tunate in  the  ))reservation  of  our  health." 

Owinji  to  th(>  increased  softness  of  the  ice,  the  return  trip 
was  even  mor(>  difricult  than  the  advance,  the  men  sinkiiif-; 
to  their  thi«-hs  in  tlie  ice  slush.  liy  th(>  11th  of  Auj;ust  the 
joyful  sound  of  the  surf  hreakinji  against  the  mari-in  of  the 
ice  was  hi-ard,  and  later  the  boats  were  launched  into  open 
water,  and  in  another  t(>n  days  they  rejoined  the  Jlrrltt,  and 
soon  uft(>rward  sailed  for  En,i;land. 

Parry's  remarkable  voyajics,  besides  reaiiitiii  a  rich  harvest 
of  scientific  data,  had  prove<l  the  navi-iability  of  Lancaster 
Sound,  the  non-existence  of  the  Crocker  Afountains.  and  that 
Prince  P(>gent   lak't   openeil  into   Barrow  Strait,  which  in 


•>♦> 


77//;  uuKAT  niiiTK  yoin/i 


turn  widened  into  Melville  Sound,  und  llienee  ojwned  into  the 
|)ol!ir  ocean.  lie  had  added  to  the  map  the  important 
arehipelauo  or  I'arry  Islands,  many  of  which  he  named  and 
explored;  had  outlined  the  sounds,  hays,  and  inlets  through 
which  he  had  sailed;  discovered  Hecia  and  Fury  Strait;  and 
demonstrate.1  the  impracticability  of  making  tii(  northwest 
passage  by  way  of  Frozen  Strait. 


CHAPTER  V 


Ninetoenth  century,  rontiiiucd  :  Scomshy  and  Clavoring.  —  For- 
intT  visited  Jan  Mayen  I.-ilaml  in  1.SI7.  later  visited  east  eoast 
of  Greenland,  discovered  Seoreshy  .Sound.  —  In  lM>4.  Captain 
Lyon  surveyed  .Melville  Peninsula.  —  Adjoining  .straits  and  sliop'.s 
of  Arctic  America. —  In  lS2r),  Captain  Beechey  in  the  Jilossom 
sailed  throuKli  Hehring  Strait  and  passed  beyond  ley  Cape. — 
Surveyed  the  coast  as  far  as  I'oint  Parrow,  adding  ll'd  miles  of 
new  sliore.  —  Second  voyage  of  Captain  .John  Hoss.  -  I'ndertaken 
in  1820. —  Discovers  Poothia. —Wintered  in  Felix  Ilarhor. — 
Discovery  of  Xoitli  Magnetic  Pole  by  nephew  of  Captain  .John 
Ro.ss.  —  Connnander  .James  Clark  Ross.  —  \alual)l<>ohservation8. 

—  Sledge  journeys  to  mainland.  — Four  years  siniit  in  the  Arc- 
tic. —  Perilous  retreat.  —  Safe  return.  —  Pand  journey  by  Captain 
Pack.— The  Great  Fish-Pack  River. —  Point  Ogle. —  Point 
Richardson.  —  Pack's  farthest  point  was  08°  1.3'  .•):"  nortli  lati- 
tud<>,  94°  oS'  1"  west  longitude.  Land  journeys  of  Simp.son  and 
Dease,  IMfi.  —  Descend  the  Mackenzie  River  to  the  sea.  — Sur- 
veyed west  shore  between  Return  Reef  and  Cap»>  Parrow.  —  In 
1839,  they  explored  shores  of  \'ietoria  Land  as  far  as  Cape  Parry. 

—  Cro.s.sed  Coronation  Gulf.  —  Descended  the  Coppermine.— 
Reached  the  Polar  Sea. —Overland  journey  in  1S40  bv  Dr.  .John 
Ra(>  confirmed  Captahi  John  Ross's  .statement  that  Poothia  wa.s 
a  peninsula. 

The  names  of  Seoreshy  unil  Cliivcritig  hold  th(>ir  own 
.special  interest  in  the  lon^  list  of  heroes  of  the  north.  A 
I)nietieal  wlmleinan,  of  an  iutellij-eiit  and  .seientifa-  frame  of 
mind,  S-on-shy,  as  early  as  ISOti,  had  penetratcil  to  witliiii  five 
hundred  ^rcofrraphieal  miles  of  the  Pol(>.  In  1S17  lie  had  made 
an  excursion  to  Jan  Mayen  Lsland,  and  later  ascended  Mitre 

57 


,)S 


'////;  <.i;i:.\r  wiiiik  .\,,i;i/t 


(  Mp...  who.M.  MiMiMiit  i>  <,-ii,M;,l..,|  a1  lluc'  tlu.usan.l  frrt 
uIk.vc  111,.  Irvrl  u|-  t(i..  M.;,.  |5„|  ,H,1  until  |.SL>2  ,|i,|  |,i.,  ,|i,. 
n.v.Tirs  (•.•.••••h  111,.  jiM.,.,t...(  iinpurt;,,,,.,..  |„  i|,is  yrar,  wliil,. 
warchiiiji  l.,r  l,rii..r  li^hii,,,  .rniui.l-.  I,,  Irjl  i„  will,  tl„.  ,.;,st..n» 
coast  u(  (iivriilaii.l,  a  ^lioic  aliin.M  .nlinlv  iinkiiuuii,  vx- 
n.|)f  wliciv  the  Dutch  .•.,|„uir>  „|-  ()|,[  (  i,,.,.MlaM.I  \svvv  -.up- 
p..>...l  1..  h;,v..  !...„  >itu'.t-,l.  Slvirtin,!;  ll.,^  hirak  an.l  hanrn 
coast.  ^ri,vv>\,y  uaiuci  inlets,  hays,  an.l  capes  a.  lie  .lis. 
••ovcrcd  tl.rni.  pa>>ii.-  .laiuonn  Lan.l  an.l  liuallv  n.a..|,in- 
Sconsliy  S. lun.l.  '  " 

The  (...ast  ,,r  .lainex.n  Land  s,.,.in...l  especially  f(.rtil,.,  and 
•'Vi.l..nc..s  .,1  rud..  hal.itaii.M.s  ^u^n■  srru.  I.ut  n..  human  Le- 
iiiiis  .lisc.,v..|vd.       l'n.c.,.,lin-  n.M-lluv;,r.l.  Mill   loH.min-   the 

'";'-^^-'""'-  '"•  ^^''^  ^ '  '"'>''1  \vitli  i.<',  an.l  th.md.  h..  na.ne.l 

other  p.„Mls  „f  lan.I  an.l  inl..ts  h..  uas  ..l,lio,.,|  i.,  ,,.1,Mn  not 
liavin-  run  a<Tos,>  the  wl,al..s  whi.'!,  it  was  his  I.u.mih.-s  to 
secure. 

C.ood  f..rtuiie.  h.;\v..ver,  f;iv..ure.l  him.  lur  „n  th..  l.-.th  of 
Auj-usl  nuna.n.us  \vhal..s  app..an..l  ronn.l  th..  >hip  •  ihn.o 
were  .sc-ure.!,  an.l  ih,.  ship  n.nv  ••|ull-(ish..d  "  cmiI.I  make  a 
luippy  return  to  i:nj;l;ind  alK.r  a  most  suc-essful  year 

The  h.lknvinjr  s..a.s„u,  Captain  ( 'lavrin.:.  <wwmMand..r  of 
H.  M.  >.  (.r,i„r,  c..nv.'y(..l  a  Captain  Sahiue  tu  Hai.unerfest 
in  X..r\vay,  where  Sal.ine  .h.^ir...!  to  niake  certain  scientific 
ol.seryations  on  the  comt)arat ive  len-iHi  ..f  the  pen.lulum 
as  affect ...1  l.y  the  ]»rincip!,.  of  attraction.  Other  northern 
IMHiits  \v..re  t.)  I.e  touch..,!  for  similar  purpos.'s,  an.l  Spitz- 
Der-en  an.l  the  ea>t  c..as1  .,f  (ov-'ulan,!  uvr,.  ,lesi-nated, 
the  latter  point  hein-v  i  .ach...l  (.arly  in  A.iuust.  "  II, .landed 
his  pass..n,i-..r  an.l  the  scientific  ai)para1us  .m  two  islands 
detach,.,]  fn.m  th,.  ,.as1..rn  shore  of  th,"  contiiuMit.  .vhi,'!,  he 
call,.d  th,.  P..nduluni  Islands.  an,|  of  which  th,.  outc.rniost 
pomt  IS  marke.I  l.y  :,  |,„ld  h,.a.llan,l  rising  to  th..  li,.ioht  of 
three     thousan.l     fe,.t."'      ("A..ctie    Adventures,"    Sargent.) 


Mi.i.vii.i.i:  i'i:sis-i  LA 


Wlii 


f   waitiii'j;   lur  ( '.ipt.-iin    S.tl.iiic,   (  lavninu;    i 


I'coniioitnd 


fi'.v  III  nmiiiiiir 


IIk'   ^■^>■A>\.    MIkI    Ua>    IIKMC  luillliialr  ihaii  SniM 

iu'Kiss    -nine    III     (lie    ii;ili\(s,    who    el, .-fly    rc.-nnlilfd    tli 

(locrilird  l.y  I'airv.     liy  llic  li.u,iiiiiiim  of  Siptcriilicr, 


lia\  iiiti  coiiiiMi'ic 


lii>  <»li>fr\a'i!)ii-,  111! 


aiiitic 
II 1 1><  r  iiiailr  licr  wav, 


not    with.. Ill    (liliiiiilty  ;iii,l    .iciays,   l.y  way  ol    Droiilhcim, 


hack  1()  |jij;iaii(l. 


Ill  IS'JI.  <  'aptaiii  Lyon,  coiiiinainlitit;  llic  ( 


iri/)i r.  was  nivcn 


llic  task  <.t'  the  ,-urvry  ol'  .Mclviilc  rciiinsiila,  ailjoiiiinu  straits 
iiiitl    Ihc   shore    ot'    Ardic    America.     () 


Nfiladi'ii    and    uii- 


■i'n- 


worthv,  the  ^ 


Wis  lotalU'  unlit   for  siirli  ai 


1  cxix'dilion, 


and   ujion   ivarhinu:   Uoc  WVlionu',  she  was  si  ruck  \>y  a  uali 


which  ihrcatt'iicil 


the  dc.-triidioii  of  l.olli  the  ship  and  ci'cw. 


After  l>ein^-  hatteivd  around  at  tlie  mercy  of  the  storm  for 
tliree  days  and  iiijihts,  in  wiiicn  coinmander  and  crew  had 
taken  no  rest  or  slee;>,  she  was  finally  hrouftht  to  anchor  in  a 


sliallow  Lay.  lat<  r  d(-i'i,iial<'(l  as  C 


M 


ercv 


Here  she  was 


-till  in  imminent  danger  of  heinu;  tiroiindeil,  and  there  seemed 


little  ho])!'  of  her  siirviviii!;  the  hi^ili  seas  th 


'11  running.     The 


crew  were  ordereil  io  prepare  for  the  woist,  and  to  this  end 
each  man  was  c;)niinanded  to  ])ut  on  his  warmer  clothing. 
Of  this  scene,  ('ai)tain   Lyon  writes:  — 

"Each,  therefore,  hrou.nht  his  hag  on  deck  and  dressed 
himself,  and  in  the  fine  athletic  forms  which  stood  exposed 
before  me,  I  did  not  >ee  one  muscle  (|uiver,  nor  the  slightest 
sign  of  alarm.  Prayers  were  read,  and  they  then  all  sat 
(U)wn  in  groups,  sheltered  from  the  wash  of  tlie  sea  liy  what- 
ever they  could  find,  and  some  endeavored  to  obtain  a  little 
sl(M'p.  Never,  i)erha])s,  was  witnesseil  a  finer  scene  than 
on  the  deck  of  my  little  ship,  when  all  hope  of  lifi>  had  h'ft 
us.  Xoble  as  the  character  of  the  Hritisli  sailor  is  always 
allowed  to  be  in  cases  of  dan,":er,  yet  I  did  not  believe  it  to  bo 
possible  that  among  forty-one  persons,  not  one  rejjining 
word  should    have  been   uttered.     Each  was  at  peace  with 


CO 


Tin:  ciiKA       iiiTE  yoiiTii 


his  neif,hJ,or  an,!  .11  tl.c  vv(„M  ;  an.l  I  am  finnly  pors,iado,l 
that  th,.  nsijrnatu,,,  wluch  \vas  ilu-ii  sh.nvn  to  tl.c  will  „f  tl„. 
Aliiu,irl,ty,  was  the  means  of  ohtaiiiinj.  His  mciry  (I,,,!  wi< 
"'<''-'-'i"l  to  us,  and  the  tid.-,  almost  miraeulouslv,  fell  m. 
lower. 

As  soon  as  the  weather  eomlitions  permitted,  they  at- 
t.'mpt..d  to  pr(K-eed  up  Melville  ( •hann..h  hut  another  storm 
<.v<'rto.,k  them,  and,  after  eonsultin-  with  his  ofheers,  it  was 
decided  to  turn  the  crip))!,.,!  sliij)  for  home. 

Another  exi)e.lition  that  set  out  ahout  this  time  (18''-)) 
was  commanded  I,y  Captain  Beechey.  The  Bhs.som  was 
directed  to  round  (ape  Horn  and  ("iiter  the  Arctic  by  wiv  of 
B.-hrmjr  Strait.  In  descrihino-  this  jrreat  jrat^nva;  to  \he 
north,   Captain    Beechey  writes :    - 

"We  approached  the  strait  which  s,>p.uates  the  two  groat 
contments  of  Asia  an.l  Anu-rica,  on  on(>  of  those  beautiful 
.^till  niohts  well  known  to  all  who  have  visited  the  \rctic 
ref.ions,  when  the  sky  is  without  a  cloud  ami  when  the  mid- 
nif^ht  sun,  scarcely  his  own  diameter  below  the  horizon 
tm-.(>s  with  a  bright  hue  all  the  northern  circle.  ' 

"Our    ship,    im)pelled    by    an    increasins    breeze,    glided 
rapidly  along  a  smooth  sea,  starting  from  her  path  flocks  of 
Ufiuatic  birds,  wliose  flight,  in  the  deep  silence  of  the  scene 
could  be  traced  by  the  ear  to  a  great  <listance." 

To  the  north  of  Cajie  Prince  of  Wah's,  th(>v  were  visited  by 
Lskimos  with  whom  they  bartered  ami    had    friendly  inter- 
course.     By  the.    22,1    of  July,  th(>  ship  r,-ach(.,l   Kotz,>bue 
.Soun.l,  an,l  after  exploring  a  deep  inlet  on  its  nortlu-rn  shore 
whwh   th,.y   nam,.,l    Hotham   Inh-t,    they   continu,.,!    their 
<ynvsv  t,)  Chamisso  IslamI,  where  they  hope,l  to  fall  in  with 
Sir  J,)hn  Franklin's  ,-xp(Mlition,  tluui  in  the  field.     Skirting  the 
<-oa^t  by  ("ap,>  Tlunnson,  Point  Hop,>,  Cap,-  Lisburn,  (^tpe 
H<-aulort,  an,l  h-y  Cape,  th,y  l„.gan  to  s,.,>  ,.vi,l,.n,.,.s  of  the 
appr,)a,-h  ,)f  wint,.r,  and  rath,T  than  risk  b,.ing  fr,)zen  in,  th.'v 
n'tmiied  to  K,)tzel)ue  Sound. 


/.'O.s.s'    SRf'OXI)     ]()VAf;K 
From    hero    ("aptaiu    Bocchcy    despatched    tli(.    1, 


ni 


har^c    in 

charge  ot  his  heutciiaiit.s  to  survey  the  coast.  This  they  suc- 
cessfully accoinpHshed  as  far  as  Point  Harrow,  a  (Ustanco 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  miles  of  new  shore. 

The  last  of  August,  1827,  found  the  mossnm  again  at 
Chamisso  Island,  where  intercourse  was  renew  1  with  tlie 
Eskimos.  liy  October,  no  news  having  been  received  of 
Franklin,  Captain  B(>echey  reluctantly  shaped  his  homeward 
course.  Not  until  the  following  year,  October  12,  1S28,  did 
he  arrive  in  England,  after  an  ai)sence  of  Ihree  vears  ami  a 
half. 

We  now  return  to  Captain  John  Ross,  whos(>  professional 
reputation  had  suffered  for  ten  years,  under  the  cloud  of  his 
early  failure.  Ever  anxious  to  retrieve  his  unfortuntite  mis- 
takes, he  had  in  vain  implored  the  British  Admiralty  to  send 
him  once  more  to  the  Arctic.  Undaunted  by  their  refusal 
and  indifference,  he  pers{>vered  in  liis  determination,  and  at 
last  found  a  liberal  sujjporter  in  F(>lix  Booth,  a  rich  distiller, 
who  contributed  s(n-ente<>n  thousand  pounds  toward  tli(>  i)ro- 
posed  expedition.  Captain  Ross  adding  his  own  entire  fortune, 
which  was  about  three  thousand  i)ounds  more. 

A  small  Liverpool  steamer  called  the  Vidonj,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  tons,  was  purchased  and  provisioned  for  three  years. 
Accompanying  Cajitain  Ross,  as  second  in  connnand,  was 
his  nejihew,  Jaines  Ross,  who  had  sailed  witli  him  on  the  first 
voyage  to  the  Arctic,  and  had  also  accompanied  Parry  on  all 
his  voyages.  Setting  sail  in  May,  182!),  with  the  avowed 
object  of  making,  if  possible,  the  Northwest  Passage  l)y  some 
opening  leading  out  of  Regent  Inlet,  th(>y  neared  the  Dan- 
ish settlement  of  Ilolsteinbora;.  in  dn 


of  July,  wlier(>  they  received  a  most  1 
the    governor.     Their   st 


and,  toward  the  last 

lospitable  welcome  fiom 

ores   were    replenished    and    certain 


other  additions  made,  including  six  ICskimo  dogs,  a  present 
from  the  governor.     Sailing  northward,  tliey  >ighted  the  im- 


02 


TUK  (;i:eat  wniri:  soutit 


posins  inouiitains  of  Disco  Ishnul.  |):irti;tlly  covcrod  with 
snow,  and  lalcr,  Hare  I>laii(l.  whidi  ihcy  found  clear,  ap- 
proacliinj;  laliludc  71°.  where  the  Hcvbi  and  Fiirii  had  been 
ice-houml  in  ISL'h  Xo  ice  whatever  was  encountered.  Not 
without  emotion.  ("a])tain  Ross  enterecl  Lancaster  Sound, 
the  scene  of  lii-  early  Itlundei-.  Xow  he  found  scarcely  any 
trace  of  ice.  and  he  sailed  throuiih  the  middle  of  it.  ]iassin,<i-,  on 
the  lOth  of  Aujiust,  Cape  York,  after  which  the  land  turns 
.southward  and.  with  the  opposite  coast  of  North  Somerset 
(lioothia),  forms  the  hroad  openinu;  of  Prince  Ke<>;ent  Inlet. 
Some  days  later  they  passed  the  scene  of  the  Fur/fs  wreck. 
They  examined  the  spot,  and  found  that  tlu)U<>h  the  hull  had 
entirely  disajipeared,  the  1ent>  and  i)oles  were  still  standing. 
The  canisters  of  ])reserved  i)rovi>ions  w(n'e  in  jierfect  condition, 
also  the  wine,  su,t>ar,  l>rea<l.  flour,  and,  cocoa,  and.  after  re- 
Ijlenishinjr  their  own  stores,  they  left  a  lariic  (piantity  l)ehind. 

By  the  middle  of  Au'.>;ust  th(\v  had  crossed  the  mouth  of 
CnNswell  Bay  and  reached  Cajje  Barry.  tlH>  farthest  ])oint 
.s(>en  l>y  Parry  on  his  previous  voya-i'e,  i)ut  here  they  h)und 
difficulty  in  navisiatinji,  owiny:  to  the  coini)ass  heinu;  useless  by 
proximity  to  the  Mafiiietic  Bole.  Ice  comlitions  also  became 
alarminji  and  o!)li<ied  them  to  m.ake  fast  to  the  driftin,<!;  tloes, 
which  sometimes  carried  thv.n  forward,  but  more  often  back- 
ward, so  that  con-<idera!)le  time  and  distance  was  lost  in  this 
manncT.  In  the  few  weeks  remainiuii'.  befoi'e  the  winter 
cold  held  them  ice-bound.  Captain  Boss  exi)lored  some  three 
hundred  miles  of  coast  land,  ^oinsi  as  far  as  Brentwell  Bay, 
thirty  miles  Ixwond  ('a])e  Barry.  Ileri^  ("a])1ain  Ross  went 
ashore  and  formally  took  possession  in  the  kinii's  name,  call- 
inii  this  land  I^oothia. 

Wintering  in  Felix  IIari)or.  the  party  had  several  occa- 
sions for  interc<.urse  with  tlw  l^kimos,  from  whom  they 
fiather(>d  remarkable  information  reuardini>;  the  ueoi2:r;iphy 
of  the  country.     Thi>  led  Capt.iiu   Ro-;-:  U)  -~euil  out  several 


k 


JAMi:s    Cl.AUK    ROSS 


GO 


cxpcditicns,  l,„|)i„o-  to  cstiil.lish  the  possil.ility  of  a  passage 
tliroujih  to  tlic  west,  whrii  llic  sumiiicr  should  uKain  livo 
tlu'ir  sliips,  l>iii  ullcr  careful  inspection  it  was  concluded  tliut 
their  only  hop,«  was  to  the  north.  Thou-h  the  ohservatiot.s 
were  made  from  several  distant  points,  and  nmch  vahuil)l(> 
information  coHected,  tlie  m..nlhs  rolled  hy  in  hopel.^ss  suc- 
cossion,  with  no  apparent  prospect  of  h'aviug  this  desolate 
spot. 

Not  until  the  17th  of  SeptemluT  were  the  ships  free,  and 
even  then  they  advanced  only  thnr  miles  lo  fin<l  theniM-lves 
Mocked  once  more,  and  a  U'^^■  days  later  hopelesslv  frozen  in 
ior  another  dreary  winter.  Not  unlil  Ai)ril.  IS;](),  were  any 
excursions  attempled.  and  in  one  of  th,...,,  ( "onnnander 
James  Clark  Ross  had.  the  -ood  fortune  lo  discoviT  the 
North  Ma-netic  Poh>  in  latitude  7U=  .V  17",  lon-itudo  90" 
4()   4.)     W  . 

"The  i)lac(>  of  the  observatory,"  he  writ(>s,  "was  as  near 
to  the  Ma-netic  Pole  as  the  limited  m.'ans  which  I  possessed 
enabled  me  to  determine.  The  aniomit  of  th.e  dip,  as  indi- 
eated  l)y  my  dippin-iuM-dle,  was  S!)°  oi)',  Ixnn-  thus  within 
one  minute  of  the  vertical  :  while  the  proximity  at  least  of 
this  pole,  if  not  its  actual  existence  where  W(>  stood,  v.'as  fur- 
ther confirmed  by  the  action,  or  rather  by  the  total  inaction, 
of  the  st>veral  horizontal  needles  then  in  my  i)ossession." 

"As  soon,"  contiiuK.s  ( •ommander  Hoss,  "as  I  had  satis- 
fiod  my  own  mind  on  the  subj(>ct.  I  mad(>  known  to  the  party 

this  .uratifyino' result  of  all  our  joint  !al,ors;  and  it  was  then  that, 
amidst  mutual  con<>ratula1ions.  we  fixed  th(>  Jiritish  flajjontho 
spot,  and  took  possession  of  the  X,,rth  Magnetic  Pol(- and  it.s 
adjoininsi- territory  in  tlu-  name  of  (Wrat  Britain  and  KiuR 
Wilham  IV.  W-  had  abundance  of  materials  for  buildin- 
in  the  fra.uinents  of  limestone  that  cov.^r.'d  the  beach,  and  we 
therefore  erected  a  cairn  of  som(>  m:,,<,niitude.  under  which  wo 
buried  a  t'ani.-iter  euntaining  a  recijnl  of  the  mtere.stins  fact 


64 


THE  (HiEAT    WHITE   .XOltTII 


only  rcfircttinu-  that  we  had  not  the  in(>ans  of  construrting  a 
pyramid  oi'  more  inii^ortancc,  and  of  strcnjilh  sufficiont  to 
withstand  tlic  assaults  of  time  and  the  Kskinios.  Had  it 
been  a  pyramid  as  large  as  that  of  ( "hcops,  I  am  not  (juitc 
sure  that  it  would  have  done  moro  than  satisfy  our  ar  '>i- 
tion  under  the  feelings  of  that  exciting  day." 

The  surceeding  sunnner  was  hardly  more  encouraging 
than  the  previous  one.  Not  until  the  last  week  in  August 
were  they  successful  in  reaching  open  water  hy  the  labo- 
rious elfort  of  warping  and  towing,  and,  after  encountering 
gales  and  ice-floes,  they  wer(>  again  fast  in  the  ice  by  the  27th 
of  September,  after  a  discouraging  navigation  of  only  four 
miles. 

The  thought  of  a  third  winter  in  the  dreary  Arctic  had 
a  most  disheart(>ning  (>iTect  upon  the  crew.  Their  only  hoi)e 
of  ultimately  extricating  themselv(>s  from  their  forlorn  situ- 
ation was  in  abandoning  the  Victonj,  taking  to  their  boats, 
and  making  their  laborious  way  to  the  wreck  of  the  Furij, 
where,  sujjplying  themselves  with  a  fresh  stock  of  j)rovisions, 
they  could  push  on  to  Davis  Strait,  in  th(>  hojie  of  being 
pick(>d  uj)  by  a  passing  whal(>-ship.  The  g(>neral  health  of 
the  men  was  showing  a  decline;  scurvy  showed  itself  as  early 
as  November  of  this  trying  year. 

Hy  .\i)ril  2:},  bS;52,  the  first  part  of  the  expedition  started 
on  the  wearisome  journey  of  some  three  hundred  miles  to 
Fury  Beach.  Owing  to  the  weight  of  the  loads,  combined 
with  snow-drifts  and  ice  barritM's,  it  was  nec(>ssary  to  go  back 
and  fi)rward  and  cover  the  same  ground  several  times  ;  thus 
after  a  month  they  had  travelled  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
nine  miles  in  this  trying  and  circuitous  manner  to  gain  thirty 
in  a  dinH't  line. 

On  the  L'',)th  of  May,  final  leave  was  taken  of  the  Victory, 
her  colours  nailed  to  the  mast,  a  parting  glass  drunk  in  her 
honour,  •uid  the  br:ive  old  shiji  left  to  her  Arctic  loneliness. 


riiK  inrrnKAT 


•;.) 


Xot  until  the  first  of  July  did  the  \vhol(>  crow  roaclj  Fury 
Beach,  after  incredible  obstacles  had  been  encountered  and 
overconi(>,  the  slow  and  laborious  advance  made  more  ardu- 
ous by  the  heavy  loads  they  carried. 

Immediately,  however,  tliey  set  to  work  and  reared  a 
canvas  shelter,  which  they  called  Somerset  House.  The 
followiiif?  month  was  spent  in  fittiuf^-  out  their  boats.  An 
oi)en  sea  now  gave  them  hope  of  reaching,  throusli  Barrow 
Strait,  to  Baffin  Bay.  Icel)erp;s  and  5«ales  proved  most  dis- 
astrous to  their  hopes  and,  after  making  a  heroic  attempt, 
they  found  it  necessary  to  return  to  Fury  Beach  and  spend 
their  fourth  winter  in  the  Arctic. 

The  wint'T  proved  exceculinsly  severe,  and  their  canvas 
shelter  quite  inade(iuate  to  keei)inj>;  out  the  cokl.  However, 
matters  were  improved  by  a  thick  snow  wall.  Sickness,  in 
the  dreaded  form  of  scurvy,  caused  much  imeasiness,  and  in 
February,  1883,  one  of  tiieir  numl)(>r  succumbed  to  the  disease. 
Th(>ir  situation  had  now  becom(>  alarmiufi;,  for  if  they  were 
not  lil)erated  the  following;  summer,  there  was  little  chance 
of  any  of  tluMr  number  surviving  another  year. 

As  early  in  the  season  as  it  was  }iossible  to  travel,  they  set 
forth  on  their  life-and-death  struggle  for  safety.  Reduced  in 
strength,  many  of  the  men  being  sick,  the  laborious  process 
of  advancing  their  load;;  was  even  slower  than  the  pre- 
ceding y(>ar.  However,  by  the  I2th  of  July,  they  all  n^ached 
their  boat  station  in  Batty  Bay.  Xot  until  August  14  was 
a  laiu'  of  wat(>r  leading  northward  discovered,  and,  embarking 
at  an  early  hour  th(>  following  morning,  they  pursued  their 
course  with  rising  spirits.  On  the  evening  of  the  lOth,  they 
were  at  the  northeastt^rn  jjoint  of  America  with  the  ojien 
sea  ahead  of  them.  Ic(>bergs  were  numerous,  but  their 
courage  was  gaining  every  moment,  and  they  took  small 
note  of  such  obstacle's.  Passing  through  Barrow  Strait, 
they  made  that  day  seventy-two  miles.     Delaj'od  i)y  con- 


GO 


THE  (iUKAT  wiirn-:  yoirni 


tniry  winds,  tlicN  did  not  reach  Xavy  Board  Inlet  until  the 
2otli,  where  tiiey  liarhoured  for  the  nij^ht. 

Early  tlie  followinjz;  inoriiiMs>;,  they  were  aroiiscMl  from 
sleep  Uy  the  lookout  man  callinj;-  "a  sail,"  hut  thouj;h  they 
made  every  effort  to  rearh  this  ship,  it  passed  them  hy  im- 
observed.  At  ten  o'clock  they  sij-hted  another  vessel  which 
was  I)(>cahned.  Uy  hard  rowing  they  reached  Iht  and  found 
her  to  he  the  fsahdla  of  Hull,  a  ship  in  which  Ross  had  made 
his  first  voyaf.(>  to  tho>e  seas.  Th(>  captain  and  mate  could 
hardly  believe  their  eyes  when  Uoss  aiuKnmced  that  he  and 
his  party  were  the  survivors  of  the  I'/c/w//,  which  had  been 
given  up  for  lost  more  than  two  years  previously.  Ho.ss  de- 
scribes the  scene  on  board  that  followed  : — 

"The  ludicrous  soon  took  tlie  i)lace  of  all  other  f(>elinffs  ; 
in  such  a  crowd,  and  such  confusion,  all  serious  thou<;ht  was 
impossible,  while  the  new  buoyancy  of  our  spirits  made  us 
al)undantly  willing  to  b(>  anuised  by  the  scrne  which  now 
opened.     Every  man  was  lumury,  and  was  to  b(>  fed  ;    all 
were  ragged,  and  wer(«  to  b(.  clothed;    there  was  not  one  to 
whom  washing  was  not  indisi)ensa})le  ;    nor  one  whom  his 
beard  did  not  dei)rive  of  all  human  semblance.     All,  (>very- 
thmg,  too,  was  to  b(>  done  at  once  ;  it  was  washing,  shaving, 
dre.ssmg,  eating,  all  intermingled  ;  it  was  all  the  materials  of 
each  jumbled  together,  while  in  the  midst  of  all  there  were 
uiterminable  questions  to  be  asked  and  answered  on  both 
sides  ;  the  adventures  of  the  Victory,  our  own  (>scai)es,  the  poli- 
tics of  England,  and  the  n.-ws  which  was  now  four  years  old. 
"Night  at  length  brought  quiet  and  serious  thoughts,  and 
I  trust  then"  was  nt)t  a  man  among  us  who  did  not  then  (>x- 
press,  where  it  was  due.  his  gratitude  for  that  interpositicm 
which  had  raised  us  all  from  a  despair  which  none  could  now 
forget,  and  had  brought  us  from  the  verv  bord(>rs  of  a  most 
distant  grave,  to  life  and  friends  and  civilization.     Long  ac- 
customed, however,  to  a  coi.l  bed  on  the  hard  snow  or  the 


LA.\h    JoriiXKV    OF   (  Al'TAIX    HACK 


67 


bare  rocks,  few  could  .sIm'p  uniid  the  comfort  of  our  now 
acconunodiitions.  I  was  myself  comi)cllcd  to  leave  the  lx>d 
which  had  been  kindly  assiji;iied  me,  an<l  take  my  abode  in 
a  chair  for  the  uifiht,  nor  did  it  fare  much  better  witii  the 
rest.  It  was  for  time  lo  reconcile  us  to  this  sudden  and 
viol(>nt  chaufre,  to  break  thr(ju;;h  what  had  beccjine  habit,  and 
inure  us  once  more  to  the  usaj;cs  of  our  former  days." 

After  five  years  in  the  Arctic,  Captain  Ross  and  his  crew 
were  homeward  Ijound,  carrying  with  them  a  record  un- 
I)recedented  in  Arctic  history.  lioothia  Felix  had  been 
discovered;  the  connectinj;-  isthmus  had  been  crossed  to  the 
mainland  of  AmiTica  and  explorations  made  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Franklin  Passajrc*,  Victoria  Strait,  and  King  William 
Sound;  the  Magn(>tic  Pole  had  been  located;  and  a  series  of 
most  valuable  observations  kept  during  the  entire  period. 

Previous  to  his  arrival  in  I::ngland,  the  prolonged  absence 
of  Captain  Ross  had  caused  great  anxiety  to  his  coimtrymen, 
and,  although  his  expfvUtion  had  been  a  private  affair  in  no 
way  comucted  with  the  Admiralty,  the  government  never- 
theless felt  it  to  be  a  national  concern  that  his  fate  and  that 
of  the  crew  should  be  ascertained  if  possible. 

Subscri])tions  were  raised  to  promote  a  relief  expeilition, 
liberally  ad<led  to  from  the  public  treasury,  and  an  expedition 
fitted  out  in  charge  of  Captain  Hack,  who  had  volunteered  his 
services,  accompanied  by  the  surgetm  and  naturalist.  Dr. 
Richard  King.  With  three  m(>n,  they  left  Liverpool,  Feb- 
ruary 17,  lSo3,  on  a  pack(>t-ship  bound  for  New  York,  where 
they  landed  after  a  rough  voyag(>  f)f  thirty-five  days.  From 
New  York  they  went  to  Montreal,  where  they  secured  four 
more  volunteers  from  the  Royal  Artillery  Corps  and  some 
other  assistants,  and  (Mubarked  on  the  St.  Lawrence  in  two 
canoes.  Making  a  brief  stoj)  at  Sauh  Ste.  Marie,  for  the 
purpose  of  purchasing  a  third  canoe,  they  directed  their 
course  to  the  northern  sliores  of  Lake  Superior. 


(58 


TIIK  (iUKAT    WltlTK   Mtimi 


On  May  20,  they  arrived  at  Fori  William.  By  the  lir.st 
week  ill  .Iiiiic,  lli(>  canoes  reached  Fort  Alexander  at  llie 
.southern  extremity  of  Lake  Wimiipeji.  Coastin;;;  this  lake, 
Cai.taiii  Hack  made  for  Norway  Ilou-e,  where  he  secured  his 
full  complement  of  men,  eis-hteen  in  all.  and  they  started  in 
hiyh  spirits  for  Fort  Resolution,  the  eastern  >hore  of  the 
(ireat  Slave  Lake.  The  chief  aimoyaiice  experienced  on 
this  lonj;-  canoe  trip  ,vas  the  torment  from  myriads  of  sand- 
flies and  inos(|uitoes,  of  which  ('ai)tain  I?ack  writes  : 

"How  can  I  possibly  {-ive  an  idea  of  the  torment  we  en- 
•lured  from  the  sand-flies?  As  we  dived  into  the  confin.'d 
and  suffocating;-  chasms,  they  rose  in  clouds,  actually  dark- 
ening- the  air;  to  see  or  to  speak  was  etiually  difficult,  for 
they  rushed  at  every  undefended  part,  and  fixed  their  i)oison- 
ous  fan-s  in  an  instant.  Our  faces  streamed  with  l.lood.  as 
if  leeches  had  Ixm  ap])lied,  and  there  was  a  l>urnin<>;  and 
irritatin.sr  pain,  followe<l  hy  inunediate  inllannnation,  and 
pro(hicin,<>-  j;iddine,ss,  which  almost  drove  us  mad,  and  caused 
us  to  moan  with  pain  and  a^ony." 

After  securing  all  po.ssihle  information  from  the  Lidians 
and  others,  relative  to  the  course  of  the  northern  rivers  of 
which  lie  was  in  search.  Captain  Rack  divided  his  party. 
Leaving  several  under  the  escort  of  Mr.  Mc-Leo.l,  an  emi)loyee 
of  the  Hudscjii  Bay  Company,  he  proceeded  with  four  ukmi 
in  search  of  the  Great  Fish  River,  later  named  after  Back 
himself. 

On  August  in,  Captain  Back  began  the  ascent  of  the  Hoar 
Frcst  River,  and  made  his  laborious  way  through  woods, 
swamiis.  cascades,  and  rajiids.  From  the  summit  of  a  high 
hill.  Back  discovered  a  b(>autiful  lake,  studded  with  islands, 
to  which  \w  gave  tlie  name  of  .\ylmer  Lake,  after  the  governor- 
general  of  Canachi  at  that  time.  Some  of  his  men  were  de- 
spatched to  investigate  this  lake,  and  in  their  absence  Back 
McrMd''nt:i!ly  discovered  tiic  source  of  the  river  which  tliey 
had  ascended,  in  Sand  Hill  Lake. 


LAM)  joriiXKy  or  captain  ilmk 


00 


"For  lliis  occusiuii,"  'ic  w riles,  "I  hud  reserved  ii  little 
{^rojf,  uiid  need  liiii'dly  s;iy  with  what  cheertulness  it  was 
sliared  ainoiiji  the  crew,  whose  welcome  tidings  liad  verified 
the  notion  of  Dr.  Hiehardson  and  myself,  and  thus  jjlaced 
Ixyoiid  doiiht  tiie  existence  of  the  Thleu-ee-choh,  or  (Jreut 
Fish  Hiver." 

Movinjr  on,  tiiey  found  it  was  impossible  to  navi}j;ate  Musk- 
Ox  Lake  in  their  frail  canoes,  owiny;  to  the  force  of  the  raj'ids. 
Heachinji  Clinton  (iolden  Lake,  they  met  with  some  friendly 
Lidians.  At  Cat  or  Artillery  Lake  the  canoes  were  alum- 
doned,  and  the  rest  of  their  return  journey  was  made  on  foot 
over  Korf2;es,  ravines,  and  })recii)itous  rocks,  where  a  false 
siep  would  have  proved  fatal. 

V\wn  reachinfj;  Fort  Reliance,  they  found  Mr.  McLeod 
had  erected  the  framework  of  their  winter  (juarters.  .\11 
hands  innnediately  turned  to,  and  by  the  oth  of  November 
they  exehan}j;<'<l  their  cold  tents  for  the  more  hos])ital)le  abode. 
The  winter  now  set  in  with  unusual  severity.  The  unfor- 
tunate Indians  of  this  locality  came  (hiil^-  to  the  camp  and 
impUtred  food  for  th(>mselves  and  their  starvinji;  families. 
"Famine  with  her  j"iiunt  and  bony  arm,"  writes  Hack,  "pur- 
su(  d  them  at  every  turn,  withered  their  enerjijies,  and  strewed 
them  lifeless  on  the  cold  bosom  of  the  snow. 

"It  was  impossible  to  afford  relief  to  all,  and  the  poor 
creatures  would  stand  round  while  the  men  were  takinij  their 
meals,  watchinfj;  every  mouthful  with  the  most  |)itiful,  implor- 
injf  look,  but  never  uttering  a  word  oi  c{)mi)laint.  Seated 
round  the  fire,  t!)ey  would  take  bits  of  their  reindeer  f!;:u'iu<'iits, 
roastinj;  these  and  eagerly  devourinji  them.  A  few  hand- 
fuls  of  mouldy  jiemmican  intended  for  the  dogs,  was  received 
with  gratitude. 

"Often,"  ;idds  Back,  "did  I  share  my  own  plate  -with  the 
children  whose  helpless  state  and  piteous  cries  were  ])ecul- 
iarly   distressing;    compassion   for   the   full-grown   may,   or 


70 


'////;  <;iii:at  uiiitk  \oirni 


may  not,  he  felt,  hut  that  heart  iiiu^t  lie  cased  in  steel  whieh  is 
iliseiisihle  to  the  ccv  of  a  ehild  lur  food." 

On  January  17  the  tlieriiioiueter  stood  at  70"  helow  zero. 
Of  this  extreme  cold  ( 'aptaiii  l5aci<  writes  :    - 

"Such  indeed  was  the  al'straelioii  of  lieat,  that  withei<>ht 
larj-c  lofis  of  (hy  w.tod  on  ilic  lire,  I  eouM  not  ^et  the  ther- 
mometer iiij-her  than  12"  hei,,w  zero.  Ink  and  paint  fro/.', 
the  .sextant  eases  and  boxes  of  seasijiied  wood,  principally 
fir,  all  split.  Tli<-  skin  of  ihc  hands  became  dry,  cracked,  anil 
opened  into  unsiirhtly,  smart in-j;  gashes,  which  we  were 
ohlified  to  anoint  with  j;rease.  On  one  occasion  after  washin;; 
my  face  within  three  feet  of  the  lire,  my  hair  was  actually 
clotted  with  ice  before  1  h;id  time  to  dry  it." 

Ilad  it  not  been  for  the  timely  assistance  of  .\kaitclio,  a 
friendly  Indi.an  chief  who  had  arrived  with  a  supply  of  men 
and  who  brought  them  ;i;mie,  tjicir  sufferinjis  mi^ht  have 
had  a  disastrous  endin.ii-.  but  this  old  brave  exiu-essed  his  senti- 
ments in  the  noble  woids  :  — 

"The.irre.at  chief  trusts  us,  and  it  is  bett<'rlhat  ten  Indians 
perish  than  one  whiti-  man  should  jn'rish  throuj-h  our  negli- 
genc(>  and  breach  of  faith." 

With  the  approach  of  sprinjj;,  Captain  Back  bej-an  ])rel)ara- 
tions  for  his  intended  journey  to  the  sea-coast,  but  on  .\pril  2.") 
a  mes.seniicr  arrived  wilh  the  welcome  news  th.at  ('a])tain 
Ross  and  the  survivors  of  the  \'irhiri/  were  alive  and  had 
arrived  .safely  in  Kui-land.  Kxtracts  from  the  Tims  and 
Herald  were  shown  Captain  Back  to  confirm  the  news. 

"In  the  fulness  of  our  hearts,  we  assembled  and  humbly 
offered  up  our  thanks  to  that  merciful  Providence,  which,  in 
the  beautiful  laimua-ie  of  the  Scripture,  hath  said,  'Mine 
own  will  I  brinji  aivain,  as  T  did  some  time  from  the  deeps  of 
the  sea.'  The  thoughts  of  so  wonderful  a  i>reservation  over- 
powered for  a  timt>  tl!(>  conunon  occurrences  of  lif(>.  We  had 
ju.si  sat  down  b.  brcakfa.-l ;  but  our  apjH'tite  was  gone,  and  the 


vwnniiA   i.A.sit 


day  was  passed  in  a  feverish  state  of  exeitenient.  Seldom, 
indeecl,  did  my  friend  Mr.  Kiny;t»r  I  iiidiiljie  in  a  ligation,  Iml 
o;i  this  joyful  occasion,  economy  was  foiKolten,  a  treat  was 
Riven  to  the  men,  and  for  ourselves  the  social  symimthios 
were  (jVienched  liy  a  ^leiieious  howl  of  punch." 

The  four  months  sp<'nt  in  the  remarkal)le  journey  of  Cajv 
tain  Rack  and  his  men  to  the  I'olar  Sea  are  on(>  continual 
recital  of  hairhreadlh  escapes  in  the  falls,  rapids,  and  cata- 
racts of  the  Thleu-ee-choh,  and  of  the  incredihle  suffering 
and  hardship  hravely  endurcil  liy  all  hands.  In  descrihinji 
one  of  iheir  narrow  escajn's,  where  the  hoat  was  ohlijred  to  he 
lightened  to  shoot  the  ra])id-.  Captain  Hack  writ<s  :  -- 

"I  stood  on  a  hij^h  rock,  with  an  anxious  heart,  to  see  her 
run  it.  Away  they  went  with  the  sju-ed  of  an  arrow,  and  in  a 
moment,  the  foam  and  rocks  hid  them  from  view.  I  heard 
what  sounded  in  my  ear  like  a  wild  shriek  ;  I  followed  with  an 
agitation  which  may  he  conceived,  and  to  my  inexpressible 
joy,  found  that  the  shriek  was  the  triumphant  whoop  of  the 
crew,  who  had  landed  safel         .i  small  i)ay  helow." 

On  the  29th,  while  threav     is  their  course  down  the  proat 
river,  they  saw  headlands  to  the  north  which  {jave  thei 
assurance  that  the  coast  was  not  far  distant.     To  this  majesliv 
promontory,  Back  ji;ave  the  name  \'ietoria. 

"This  then,"  \w  writes,  "may  he  considered  as  the  mouth 
of  the  Thleu-ee-clu)h,  which  after  a  violent  and  tortuous  course 
of  five  hundred  and  thirty  seoj>;rai)hical  miles,  runninp;  through 
an  iron  rihhed  countrv.  without  a  single  tree  on  the  whole  V'no 
of  its  banks,  expandinjj;  into  five  large  lakes,  with  clear  horizon 
most  embarnissinp;  to  the  navigator,  and  broken  into  falls, 
casca(h's,  and  rajiids,  to  the  number  of  eighty-three  in  the 
whole,  pours  its  water  into  th(>  Polar  Sea,  in  latitude  <)7°  11'  N., 
and  longitude  04°  80'  W.,  that  is  to  say,  about  thirty-seven 
miles  more  south  than  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine  River, 
and  nineteen  miles  more  south  than  tluxt  of  Back's  River,  at 
the  lower  extremity  of  Bathhurst's  Inlet." 


7-> 


'////•;  (ii:i:.\i    wiiiii-:  \nimi 


The  f(tllii\\iiin(|;iys  were  a  siirccssioii  of  iiicrcdililc  lianl>liips, 
IIk'  result  of  ilii'<lam|)  wcatlicr.  llir  liarri'iiiit-s  of  tlic  coast, 
aii<l  thf  soft  sii'tw  and  slush  into  which  the  iiici)  phnwd  kncc- 

•  Iccp  at  every  stej).      No  lire  coiiM  l>e  lighted,  and  in  conse- 

•  nietiee  they  had  no  means  of  secininy;  warnilh  or  cooked  food  ; 
the  men  Itecame  low-spirited  ami  di-coiuaKed.  Tlie  counlry 
was  Hat  and  deso'ate,  an  "iire<iular  plain  of  sand  aixl  stoni's  ; 
and  had  it  not  heen  for  a  rill  of  water,  the  meandering  of 
which  relieved  the  monotony  of  the  sterile  scene,  one  minht 
have  fancied  one's  self  in  one  of  the  parched  plains  of  the  llast, 
rather  than  on  the  shore  of  the  Arctic  Sea." 

Making  a  heroic  advance,  Hack  discovered  and  named 
Point  Ofile  and  I'oint  Richardson,  canuht  a  siv:ht  of  IJoothia 
Felix,  and  then  having  re  iched  l.alitude  (»S^  V.V  .J7"  \.,  loniri- 
tude  «»r  r)S'  1"  W.,  he  unfurh'tl  the  British  flaw  and  took 
formal  possession  in  the  name  of  His  Majesty,  William  I\', 
amid  the  enthusiastic  cheers  of  his  comrades.  They  left  the 
cold  Arctic  shores  the  middle  of  Au^usl.and  not  until  the  17th 
of  September  did  th(>y  meet  Mr.  McLeod  at  Sandy  Hill  Hay, 
according  to  ajipointment,  and  with  him  reached  Fort  Re- 
liance' on  the  27th. 

A  socond  winter  was  passcvl  in  the  wilderness  of  the  inhos- 
pitahle  north,  devoted  hy  Back  and  Dr.  Kin--  to  writinji;  their 
journals,  mappinfi  their  discoveries,  and  arraii>iin«i  their 
sci(>ntiti('  data,  the  crew  occupying  themselves  in  huntinj;;  and 
fishinjiex]ie(  lit  ions. 

The  last  of  March,  Cajitain  Back,  having  left  instructions 
for  Dr.  Kin<i  to  ])roceed  as  soon  as  th(>  weather  would  permit 
to  the  company's  factory  at  Hudson  Bay,  there  to  embark 
for  Fnidnnd  in  their  spring  shi])s,  proce<'ded  throujih  Canada, 
and  by  wa.\-  of  New  York  to  lOnjilaml,  where  he  arrived  at 
Li\(-rpool  the  Sth  of  September.  Dr.  Kinji  reached  i;n^;land 
a  month  later. 

For  this  remarkable  <liscoverv  and  voyauie  down  t!ie  (treat 


SIMI'sny    AM)    HHAsE 


Fish  Hivcr,  ' '.'iptaiti  Hack  rcccivctl  from  llu'  \l<>yii\  (l.'o- 
Hiapliical  Socir'y  tlicir  Hoyal  pri'miuiii  (a  nold  !in'<lal).  In 
ls;i.*)  Ii<>  \v;is  knitihttd,  liaviii};  alna<ly  lia<l  tln'  coii^rratulatioiifj 
jiml  upproliatiuii  of  Mis  Majesty,  llic  KiuK- 

The  follou'dii  year  ('aptaiii  Hack  made  aiiolhcr  Arctic 
voyage,  in  coiiiiiiaiul  of  llic  sliip  I'ninr,  u])  Ilmlson  Strait, 
rnfortuiialcly  llic  ship  j^ot  fast  in  the  ice  off  ( 'ape  ( 'omfort, 
an<l  there  reiiiaiiie(|  at  the  mercy  of  the  <lestriu'tive  ice-pack 
throutrh  a  (h'cary  winter  nntil  th<'  following  .Inly.  She  ha<l 
become  so  ilisaMeil  that  she  was  l)arely  e(|iial  to  crossinff  tlie 
AMantic,  hiit  the  retnrn  voyajje  was  fortnnately  acconiphshed 
in  safety. 

In  \KH\  the  Ilndsoti  liay  Company,  desiring  to  complete 
tlie  survey  of  their  northern  territories,  especially  the  coast- 
line of  .\rctic  .\merica,  sent  out  two  of  their  employees, 
Dease  and  Simpson,  with  a  j)arty  of  twelve  men. 

Descending  the  Mackenzie  Hiver  to  the  sea,  they  snrv.-yed 
the  westward  shore-line  between  Return  Reef  and  ("ape 
Harrow.  Two  lar>:;e  livers  were  discovered,  the  (Jarry  and 
Coleville.  Though  the  season  was  midsummer,  the  ground 
was  frozen,  and  northeasterly  winds  made  progress  very 
trying. 

Hy  the  1st  of  .Vufjust,  further  navifjation  proved  imprac- 
tical)le  and,  dividing  the  l)arty,  Simi)son,  with  some  of  the 
men,  continued  the  journey  on  foot,  and  Dease  remained  with 
the  rest  of  tlie  crew  in  charge  of  the  boats.  Sim])s()n  fell  in 
with  I'.skimos,  of  whom  he  hired  an  (wnniak,  a  larfje  canoe,  to 
aid  him  as  occasicm  demanded.     .\  few  days  later  he  writes:  — 

"I  saw  with  indescribable  (^motions  Point  Harrow  stretch- 
iufi  out  to  the  northward  and  enclosing  Mlson  Hay,  near  the 
bottom  of  which  we  W(>re  now."  l-ieutenant  Klson  havinjj; 
been  in  ( harji'e  of  the  lilnssnni's  l)ar<fe  which  reached  this 
"farthest"  in  1S2().  I'lMm  the  ii-turn  of  Simjison  the  party 
took  up  winter  <{uartc!'<  at  (Ircat  Hear  Lake. 


74 


THE  ai.'EAT    WHITE  NORTH 


The  folluwinji  .June  they  (Ic.sccnfhvl  tho  Copponnino,  where, 
in  shooting  the  rapids,  tliey  "hiul  to  pull  Ibr  their  lives,  to 
keep  out  of  the  suction  of  the  i)reeipices,  jilou-?  whoso  base  tho 
breakers  ra<i;<'<l  and  foamed,  with  overwhelinii'fj;  fury.     Shortly 
before  noon,  we  came  in  sijiht  of  Escape  Rajiid,  of  Franklin  ; 
and  a  f^iance  at  the  overhan^inf;  cliffs  told  us  that  there  was 
no  alternative  but  to  run  down  with  full  car<>;o.  "     "In  an 
instant,"  conliiuies  Sinijison,  "we  were  in  the  vortex:  and, 
before  we  were  awar(\  my  boat  was  borne  toward  an  isolat(Hl 
rock,  which  the   boilinjj;  surf!;(>  almost    concealed.      To  clear 
it  on  the  outside  was  no  lon^'er  possii)le  ;   our  only  chance  of 
safety  was  to  run  ix'tween  it  and  the  lofty  eastern  clitf.     The 
word  was  passed  and  every  breath  was  hushed.     A  str(>am 
which  dashed  down  ui)on  us  over  tho  brow  of  the  precipice, 
more  than  one  lumdred  feet  in  heifiht,  mingled  with  the  sjjray 
that  whirled  upwards  from  the  rapid,  forminjr  a  terrific  shower- 
bath.      The  pass  was  about  ei}>ht  feet  wide,  and  the  error  of 
a  sin<>l(>  foot  on  either  side  would  have  been  instant  destruc- 
titm.     As,  f>uided   by  Sinclair's  eimsummate  skill,  tho  boat 
shot  .safely  throu<;li  tho.se  jaws  of  <leath.  an  involuntary  cIkmt 
aro.se. 

"Our  n(>xt  impulse  was  to  turn  round  to  view  the  fate  of 
our  comrades  behind.  Tliey  had  profited  by  the  peril  we 
incmred.  and  k(>pt  whhout  tiie  treacherous  rock  in  time." 

Hardly  had  they  reached  the  coast  before  they  wen^  stopped 
by  the  ice,  and  hopelessly  delayed  many  days.  The  season 
was  rapidly  advanciiifr,  and  yet  no  real  work  had  been  accom- 
plislHHl.  On  the  2()th  of  Ausu.st.  Simp.son  and  seven  men 
started  on  a  ten  days'  walk  to  the  (>a.stward  of  B(.athaven. 
Projjjress  was  l)oth  diflicult  and  discoura.nini!;.  On  tlie  2M 
tiiey  reached  an  (devated  cape,  l)eyond  which  further  pro^n'ss 
was  impossible.     Of  tliis  scene  Simpson  writes  :  — 

"I  ascended  the  heiixht,  from  whence  a  vast  and  .splendid 
project  burst  suddenly  upon  mo.     The  sea,  as  if  transformed 


c\ 


RAE's    OVEltLASD    JOriiSEY 


10 


by  cnchantincnt,  roUt'd  its  free  waves  at  my  ffU't,  and  beyond 
till'  reacli  of  vision  to  the  eastward.  Islands  of  various  shapes 
and  sizes  overspread  its  surface,  and  tlie  northern  land  ter- 
minated to  the  eye  in  a  hold  and  lofty  cape,  bearinji;  aisl- 
)ii>rth(vsf,  thirty  or  forty  miles  distant,  while  the  continental 
coast  trended  away  southeast.  1  stood,  in  fact,  uu  a  rtMnark- 
able  headland,  at  the  eastern  (jutlet  of  an  ice-obstructed 
strait.  On  the  extensive  land  to  the  noilhward,  I  bestowed 
the  name  of  our  most  gracious  M)vereifi;ii,  (^ueen  \'ictoria. 
Its  eastern  visible  extremity  I  called  ('ai)e  Pelly,  in  comple- 
ment of  the  fi'overnor  of  the  Iludsou  liay  Company." 

In  1839,  Sim))son  and  Dease  made  a  more  successful  jour- 
nej'.  The  ice  conditiijns  beinj;-  better.  th(>y  sailed  throufjh 
the  strait  that  sejiarates  N'ictoria  Land  from  the  mainland. 
They  jmshed  on  to  Sitnpson  Strait,  which  divides  Boothia 
from  the  mainland,  and  later  doubled  Poiut  ()<;le.  Upon 
reachinf?  Montreal  Island  in  Back's  Estuary,  they  found 
certain  provisions  left  there  by  ("ai)tain  Back  five  year.s 
behjre.  On  the  'iotli  of  Auunst,  IS.30,  they  erected  a  cairn  at 
their  farthest  jioint  near  Cape  Herschel. 

Exi)lorinfr  loO  miles  of  the  shores  of  \'ictoria  i.and  as  far  as 
Cai>e  Parry  and  the  Bays  of  Wellinizton.  Cambridsi-e,  and 
Byron,  they  crossed  ( 'oronation  (iulf  and  hnally  reentered  the 
Coi)permine  River,  after  a  voyaj-c  of  more  than  lOOO  miles  in 
the  Polar  Sea.  For  his  remarkable  acliievem<>nts,  Simjison 
was  awarded  the  Founder's  (Jold  Medal  of  the  Hoyal  (leo- 
f;;raphical  Society  of  London. 

In  184G,  the  IIu<lson  Bay  Company  fitted  out  another 
expedition  to  be  sent  into  the  field  for  the  ])urpose  of  survey- 
ing the  northeast  corner  of  the  American  mainland;  the 
mouth  of  the  ( 'astor  and  Pollux  to  the  Culf  of  Akkolee.  so  as 
to  link  the  discoveries  of  Dease  and  Simpson  and  those  of  the 
second  voyages  of  Ross  and  Parry. 

An  employee  of  the  company,  Dr.  John  Ilae,  was  chosiii  for 


'////•;  (!i:i:at  nil  he  yoirrii 


lliis  i)ur|)ns(>  ;iii«l  i)ii1  ill  «'()imn;ui(l  of  t\V(>Iv('  iikmi.  Dr.  Hac 
is  licM'iii.cd  as  a  man  of  uiiusiiul  allaimiicnis,  ;i  surf-vou, 
astioiiomcr,  an  al)lc  stct  isiiiaii  :  conihiiiiii}'-  with  liis  abilities 
lor  Iradcrship  llic  accomplisliinciits  of  a  first-rate  snow-shoe 
walker  and  dead  shot. 

.\fter  a  canoe  trip  of  two  months'  dnration.  the  party 
arrived  at  York  Factory  early  in  ( )ctol)er.  Here  they  ])asseil 
the  winter,  and,  as  soon  as  the  weather  would  permit,  set  sail 
in  two  hoats.  and  skirted  the  shores  of  Hudson  P.ay. 

At  Fort  Churchill  they  found  natives  en<>a,>ivd  in  capturinj;; 
white  whales,  which  make  their  way  to  these  waters.  They 
secured  the  services  of  two  Fskimos,  father  and  son,  Oolij^-- 
l>uck  \)v  name,  who  accompanie<l  the  expedition  as  inte  - 
l)re1er... 

In  passinj.-  Chesterfield  Inlet,  they  heard  the  f>Tuntin<>;  and 
bcllowini--  of  walruses,  "making  a  noise,"  says  Rae,  "which  I 
fancy  would  much  reseml.le  a  concert  of  old  hoars  and  huffa- 
loes."  At  HeiMihlic  I5ay  tliey  hou,<;ht  sealskin  h.oots  from  the 
ICskimos.  an<l  of  ihe  incident  Rae  says,  "One  of  our  female 
visitors  took  them  out  of  my  hands,  and  l)e<;an  chewinj;-  them 
with  her  stron.i-  teeth,  for  tlie  ])uri)ose  of  softeninj!;  up  the 
leather." 

Procee.lino on  their  1oils()in<>  journey,  they  traced  the  coa.st 
froni  Ford  Mayor  Hay  to  within  ten  miles  of  Fury  and  Ilecla 
Straits,  confirmin<>-Cai)tain  Hossinhis  statement  that  Roothia 
was  a  peninsula;  and  not  returnin,t;-  to  York  Factory  until 
Septemlter,  \S,[7. 

Their  lon->-  Wiiiter  was  sjuMit  at  Heimlse  Bay,  \vh(>re  they 
l>uih  a  stone  house  and  jjrocured  i)rovisions  hy  hunting-  anil 
lishin<>-.  Dr.  Hae,  heiiij--  an  excellent  shot,  s(>cure(l  in  one  day 
as  many  as  seven  deer  within  two  miles  of  their  slu'lter. 
In  the  month  of  SeptemI.er,  sixty-three  deer,  live  han«s,  one 
seal,  one  hundred  ;m  1  seventy-two  i)artri(lf>-e,  and  one  hundred 
and  sixteen  s.ihnoii  an<!  trout  were  .sceurcd.     V,\  the  middle  of 


liAK  S    OVEULA.M)    JOmSKY 


77 


Octohor  the  .leer  hociuno  scarce,  Init  two  Imiulrcd  i)artri(I{!;(\s 
were  secured,  also  a  few  salmon,  so  that  by  the  time  all  fjame 
iiad  mif;Tate(l,  they  had  a  fairly  well-stocked  larder.  How- 
ever, the  (luestioii  of  fuel  was  a  vexiiij^  one,  as  there  was  no 
W(jod  to  sjH'ak  of,  hut  the  captufe  of  two  seals  sui)i)lied  them 
with  oil  for  their  laini)s. 

T(nvard  February  it  was  found  necessary  to  limit  the  men 
to  one  meal  a  day. 

As  the  sj)rin,i;-  a(lvanc(>d,  tluy  made  a  .series  of  journeys. 
Of  these  Dr.  Rae  descriiu's  making  camj)  after  a  fatifjuins 
day's  travel  :  - 

"Our  usual  mode  of  i)reparin}i;  lod^intrs  for  th(>  nijiht  was 
as  follows  :  As  soon  as  we  had  selected  a  spot  for  our  snow- 
house,  our  Kskimos,  assisted  by  one  or  more  of  the  men,  com- 
m(>nced  cuttin.i;  out  blocks  of  snow.  When  a  sufUcient  num- 
ber of  these  had  been  raised,  the  builder  commenced  his  work, 
liis  assistants  sujiplyinu;  him  with  material.  A  good  roomy 
dwelliufi;  was  thus  rais(Ml  in  an  hour,  if  the  snow  was  in  a  .nood 
stat(>  for  buildinii-.  Whilst  our  ])iincipal  mason  was  thus 
occupied,  another  of  the  i)arty  was  busy  erecting;  a  kitchen, 
which,  although  our  cookiiii-;  was  none  of  the  most  delicate 
or  extensive,  was  still  a  necessary  addition  to  our  establish- 
ment, had  it  been  only  to  thaw  snow.  As  .soon  as  the  snow- 
hut  was  comjileted.  our  sh"(l<i;es  were  unloaded,  and  (wery 
eatabl(>  (includiuii  ]iarchment-skin  and  moo.^e-skin  shoes, 
which  had  b(>com(>  now  favorite  articles  with  the  doj-s)  taken 
insi<le.  Our  bed  was  next  made,  and,  by  the  time  the  snow- 
was  thawed  or  th(>  water  l)oile(l,  ..s  tiie  ease  mijiht  b(>,  we  were 
all  r(>ady  for  ,supi)er.  When  we  us(>(l  alcohol  for  fuel  (which 
we  usually  did  in  stormy  weather)  n.)  kitchen  was  required." 

.After  days  of  exposure  and  hard  .liip.  Dr.  Rae  writes  :  — 

"We  w(>re  ;i,<>ain  on  the  march,  and  arrived  at  our  home  at 
half  past  ei>i;ht  p.m.,  all  w(>ll.  but  so  i)lack  and  scarred  on  the 
face-,  Irom  the  cuMiiniicd  cilVcis  of  oil,  smoke,  ainl  fi'o>l-i)iles 


78 


THE  a  HEAT   WHITE  yoiifii 


th;it  our  friends  would  not  hcliove  hut  that  some  serious  acri- 
dcut  from  the  exi)losi(tii  of  }>;iuipowdor  had  happened  to  us. 
Thus  successfully  terminated  a  journey  little  short  of  six 
hundred  English  miles,  the  longest,  1  believe,  ever  made  on 
foot  along  the  Arctic  coast." 
Of  another  trip  mad*'  in  May,  Dr.  Rae  writes  :  — 
"(hir  journey  hitherto  had  been  the  most  fatiguing  I  had 
ever  experienced;  the  s(>v(>re  exercise,  with  a  limited  allowance 
of  food,  had  reduced  the  whole  party  very  much.  HoAvever, 
we  marched  merrily  on,  tightening  our  b(>lts,  —  mine  came  in 
six  inches,  —  the  n.  'u  vowing  that  when  they  got  on  full  allow- 
ance" they  would  make  up  for  lost  time." 

By  the  last  of  .\ugust,  1847,  the  party  returned  to  civili- 
zation, where  Dr.  Hae  was  awarded  four  hundred  j)ounds  })y 
the  Hudson  Bay  ('omj)any  for  his  import;-*  services. 


;m 


CHAPTER  VI 


Sir  John  Franklin.  —  Early  life.  —  First  land  expedition  of  1S19-1S21. 

—  Journey  from  York  Factory  to  Cumberland  House.  —  Reach 
Fort  Providence.  —  Winter  at  Fort  Fnterj)ri.se.  —  Kxplorations. 

—  5550  miles.  —  Hardship.  —  IStarvation.  —  Return.  —  Second 
land  journey.  —  1825.  —  Winter  tjuarters  at  Great  Bear  Fake.  — 
Descent  of  the  Mackenzie  River  to  the  Polar  Sea.  —  1200  miles  of 
coast  added  to  map. —The  last  journey  of  Sir  John  Franklin, 
1S45.  —  The  Ere  us  and  Terror.  —  Last  seen  in  MelvilU;  Bay. 

No  name  holds  more  romantic  association  with  Arctic 
hi.story  than  that  of  Sir  John  Franklin.  \Miat  a  career,  what 
love  of  adventure,  what  hardships  endured  with  lieroic  for- 
titude, what  leadership  that  could  insi)ir(>  others  to  ]nissionate 
loyalty,  and  superhuman  endurance  under  unspeakable  trials, 
and  what  a  fate  ! 

Let  us  review  briefly  a  life  that  stands  in  the  foremost 
rank  of  naval  history,  not  so  nnich  by  ^reat  achievement,  as 
by  that  particular  charm  of  character,  indefinable  and  subtle, 
that  is  based  on  those  great  qualities  of  tolerance,  justice, 
loyalty,  simplicity,  and  warm  affections. 

John  Franklin,  the  youngest  son  of  twelve  children,  was 
born  in  the  small  market  town  of  Spilsby,  Lincolnshire,  April 
10,  1780.  He  was  early  destined  for  the  church  and  educated 
at  St.  Ives,  and  later  at  Louth  drammar  School.  A  holiday 
jaunt  with  a  young  compani(ni,  tw(>lve  miles  to  the  shores  of 
the  North  Sea.  with  its  overwhelming  grandeur,  changed  his 
career  and  decided  him  for  the  life  of  a  sailor. 

The  shrewd  old  father,  with  that  acute  knowledge  of  the 
short-lived  enthusiasms  of  youth,  put  him  to  test,  and  at  four- 

79 


80 


77/ A-  ariKAT    WUITE   \<>liTII 


(MMi   years   „f  ;,o,.    ,,.,1.,-  .I,,!,,,   ,,,V(>.1   „„   a   i.M..rl,ant,naM 

.oimd  h,r  L,sl.un.      rn.huiulr.l  l,y  the  l.ani  IktII.  ..f  a  sailor 
la<l,  we  (m.l    hin,  ir>   1S(H    ,,1,  the  (luart.T-d.'ck  <.r  the  IWi 
l>hi>„us,  „„,1,T  Captain  I.antur.l.  ica.lin-  i,,  li,,,.  at  ll,,.  I.attic 
ol  (  uiM'iilia-cii,  Lord  Xcison's  hardest  fou-lit  l.attlc. 

His  iron  will,  ever  nmre  firm  in  its  .let.Tuiinati.m'  lor  a  life 
01  advent.uv,  secure,!  i.Mii  later  a  l.erth  in  the  diseov.'rv  .hi,, 
Invcslujator,  explornij;-  th.>  coast  of  Australia,  where  Fn.nklin 
aequu-ed  valuable  astronon.ieal  and  surveyinj.-  skill  luider  his 
al)le  relative,  Captain  Flinders. 

Transferred  to  the  IWpoisr,  which,  in  con,,)anv  with  the 
Lata,  was  wrecked  on  a  coral  reef  off  the  <-oast  of  \ustrali-i 
August  18,  I8O;},  the  lad,  with  one  hundred  and  fiftv  others' 
spent  filty  days  on  a  strii)  of  sand  only  fo.n-  f.rt  al.ove  wat.^r' 
(  uptani  Flinch-rs,  after  .nakini--  his  way  2.-,0  k-ajiues  to  Port 
Jaekson  in  an  open  hoat,  n'scued  his  companions.  Franklin 
finally  reached  Canton,  where  he  secured  pas.^aiic  lo  Knoland 
m  th(>  E<n-l  Camdoi,  Kast-Indianian.  under  Sir  Xatlmniel 
Danee,  eornniodore  of  the  China  fleet. 

An  en}.aj.(>inent  with  the  French  scpiadron  occurred  in 
Fehniary.  1S()4.  at  which  younu'  Franklin  rendered  valuable 
service  as  simial  niidshiiHnan.  On  his  nluni  to  i'lnjiland  he 
was  assijrned  to  the  Bdlvniphmt.  W  the  battle  of  Trafaljiar, 
h<>  jrallantly  stood  „n  the  i)oop.  with  the  dead  and  dyino-  falhnf,^ 
beside  him,  altendinu'  to  the  sij-nals,  with  a  coolness  and  accu- 
racy that  won  him  the  unstinted  admiration  of  his  comrades. 

For  the  next  two  years  he  served  under  Admirals  Corn- 
wallis  St.  \'incent,  and  Stratham  :  then  for  six  vears  in 
the  Hcilfurd. 

In  the  disastrous  attack  upon  New  Ork^ans.  Franklin  coin- 
m;tnded  the  bo.-its  in  a  fiuht  with  the  enemy's  <:unboats  ;  he 
captured  one  of  them  and  suffered  a  sliolii  ^vound  in  the 
shoulder  in  a  hand-to-hand  encounter. 

He  was  promoted  to  iu'st  lieutenant  for  f,'allant  service  and 


or 


snt  Jnii.y  fhaxklix 


81 


iissiniu'tl  to  tlic  /■'(irtli,  wliicli,  iiflcr  llir  ;il)(li('jiti()ii  of  Xui)ol('on 
iind  the  rcstonition  of  tlic  Bouihoiis,  coiivcvcd  the  Duchess 
(I'Aiijioulciuc  hack  to  Kniiicc. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  after  such  a  varied  and  (list iujjuished 
career,  Fraiikhn  sliould  i)e  one  of  the  first  to  enter  with  whole- 
souled  entluisiasin  into  the  renew'ed  interest  shown  hy  Kiiji- 
land  in  Arctii-  discovery  and  exploration. 

Of  the  Huchan  expedition  in  which  Franklin  was  second  in 
command,  we  already  know  the  history.  The  succeeding  ex- 
peditions, though  s])okeu  of  as  failures  in  their  main  object, 
won  for  him  a  renown  (piite  uni(iue  in  Arctic  honours,  and  the 
last,  .so  trajiiically  fatal  in  its  results,  did  more,  through  the 
numberless  searching  parties  sent  out  to  discover  news  of  the 
missinf?  ships,  to  extend  the  world's  scientific  knowledge  and 
j!;eo}i,rai)hical  accuracy  of  Arctic  America,  tlian  could  possibly 
have  lu'en  aceomi)lishe(l  had  the  ex])edition  l)(>en  a  success. 

Before  taking  up  in  (h'tail  the  journeys  of  Sir  .John  Franklin, 
it  might  be  well  to  make  note  of  a  side-light  in  his  remarkal)lo 
character.  To  this  man  a  career  meant  the  paramount  ambi- 
tion of  life,  a  ])assion  stronger  than  thi>  love  of  wotnan,  of 
family,  of  home  or  i)hysical  comforts.  After  the  return  of 
the  Buchan  and  Franklin  (>x])edition,  the  gentle  poetess, 
Anno  Porden,  who  liad  written  "\'iels.  or  Triumph  of  Con- 
stancy," the  "("(I'ur  de  Lion."  and  a  short  poem  on  the  Arctic 
exiM'dition  just  returned,  visited  the  Trent  and  met  tlie  gallant 
.John  Franklin  in  the  full  blush  of  his  youthful  manhood.  !!(> 
fell  in  love,  and  upon  his  re  turn  from  his  first  land  expedition, 
in  182;^,  they  were  married,  but  with  the  distinct  understand- 
ing that  sweet  .\ime  should  "never,  uiuler  atiy  circumstances, 
s<'ek  to  turn  her  husband  aside  from  the  duty  he  owed  his 
country  and  his  career."  And  .she  kept  her  word,  but  at 
what  sacrifice  ! 

In  .June  of  the  following  y<>ar  a  daugliter  was  born  to  them, 
hut  the  mother  never  regained  her  health  ;    a  few  months 


I 


82 


77//;  <;iii:AT  wiiitk  soiaii 


later,  putting  in  .lolm  I'laiiklin's  hand  a  silken  llaj;  to  he  camfd 
nuith  t(»  victory,  ilic  \v,,ik  ol'  her  dyinji  linuvrs,  .she  coura- 
jiM.u.-iy  liad.'  him  ( iod-sj). •<■({,  and  he  started,  amid  the  applause 
ot  an  entlni>ia-lic  nation.  u|)on  that  second  journey  —  little 
jiuessMiy,  she,  loo,  was  ahout  to  enii)ark  upon  the  great  un- 
known. 

■"My  instruct  ions,  in  sul)stance."  writes  Franklin  of  the 
first  land  ^'xpedition  oi"  iSP.t  1S21,  "informed  nie  that  the 
main  object  of  tlie  expeilition  was  that  of  deterniininj;  the 
latitude  and  lon^iitude  of  the  nortliern  coast  of  North  America, 
and  the  tren<lin«  of  that  coast  from  the  mouth  of  the  ( 'opi)er- 
mine  Hiver  to  the  e:istern  extremity  of  that  continent." 

He  was  authorized  to  take  counsel  with  the  Hudson  Bay 
officials,  and  plan  his  course  accordingly.  In  fact,  nnich  was 
left  to  his  own  <li>cretion.  and  i)efore  leaving  Kngland  he  wa.s 
fortunate  enough  to  go  over  the  details  of  the  proposed  joiu'- 
ney  with  Sir  Alexan(h>r  :\facken/ie,  the  only  living  English 
exploHM-  who  had  visited  that  coast. 

Accompanied  liy  Dr.  HichanUon,  surgeon  and  naturali.st 
(later  Sir  John  Uichardson).  A.lmiralty  AIidshii)man  (leorgo 
IJack  (later  Sir  Ceorge  liack),  Rohert  Hood,  and  another 
Englishman,  .Ioh!i  Hephnrn,  Franklin  sailed  from  C.ravesend 
in  the  Pi'nicv  nf  HV(/rx,  May  'Jii,  ISl!). 

On  reaching  York  Factory,  the  i)rincipal  depot  of  the  Hud- 
tfon  Bay  Company,  he  found  an  unfortunate  state  of  af^fairs 
existing  hetween  them  and  the  Northwest  ('omi)any.  A 
hitter  rivalry  had  resulted  in  the  detention  at  York  Factory 
of  certain  ])artners  of  the  other  company,  and  the  result  of 
this  unfoHunale  ([uarrei  had  serious  results  ujwn  his  own 
future. 

He  was  advis(Ml  to  niako  for  Cuml)orlan(l  House,  and  later 
through  a  chain  of  posts  to  the  slioro  of  Creat  Slave  Lake. 
With  only  one  steersman  and  a  boat  so  small  that  many  of 
the  provi.-iun^  were  in  cunscciuinec  k'lt  beiiiml,  Franklin  made 


jnrnsKY    io  ( I  mi!i:i;la.\I}  jimsi-: 


8:j 


liix  st:irt  up  tln'  Hiiycs  Uivi'r,  S^ptcinlHi-  '.).  Sailing  was  fre- 
(lUt'iiily  vaiii'il  l)y  the  arduous  labour  of  tiackiiiji,  and  not  uii- 
t'n(iucntly  a  porta^tc  was  I'ouml  necessary,  wliicli  addctl  lo  ilic 
faiiuucs  and  discouraiiciutnts  ol"  ilic  day. 

At  one  ol'  ihc  outpo>1>  of  ilic  IIud>oii  I'.ay  ('oini)aiiy,  they 
were  anain  olilijicd  lo  leave  some  of  tlicir  .stores  under  pronii-e 
that  these  would  l)c  forwarded  in  the  si»riiiv:,  and  laier.  at 
Swampy  Lake,  the  tenants  of  the  depot  jjave  them  a  supply  of 
mouldy  pemmicaii.  which  <if  course  had  to  lie  thrown  away 
later.  Thus  from  the  outset  the  expedition  lalxnired  under  the 
fatal  handii'ap  of  iiisullicieiit  stores. 

.\t  Oxford  House,  Holy  Lak(  .  they  secured  some  jjood 
peinmican  and  also  fish,  and,  as  the  season  was  advancin^r, 
they  i)ushed  onward.  They  finally  reached  the  mouth  of  the 
Saskatchewan,  and,  following;  the  river,  they  first  arrived  at 
Little  River,  then  I'ine  Island  Lake, and  at  last,  on  October  2:?, 
( 'innherland  House,  .\lreadyice  had  imju'ded  their  journey, 
and  here  they  determined  to  winter,  at  the  invitation  of  (iov- 
ernor  A\'illiains. 

Fmpatient  to  ])o  on  his  way,  and  desirous  of  .securing 
guides,  hunters,  interjireters,  and  stores  for  the  journey  to  the 
.sea,  Franklin,  accomjianied  Iiy  Back  and  TIei)liurn.  started, 
.lanuary  1!),  1S2(),  for  Fort  ('hijx'wvan,  with  jirovisions  for 
fifteen  days.  After  a  winter'.s  journey  of  cifiiit  hundred  and 
fifty-seven  miles,  they  reached  their  destination. 

The  various  ])osts  at  which  they  stopped  sujipliefl  them  with 
only  a  limite(l  amount  of  provisions,  and  the  prospect  of  secur- 
ing more  was  most  discouratiintr.  Sickness  of  the  Lidians 
in  the  hunting  season  foretold  a  scarcity  for  the  following 
spring:  moreover,  the  rivalry  of  the  fur  companies  and  the 
lavi-h  ex])endilure  of  their  stonvs  in  f>pj)osition  tactics  liad 
resulted  in  greatly  depleted  food  sui)l)ly,  so  that  i)rovisions 
i'\l)ressly  intended  for  Franklin  were  later  consumeil  before 
n'aching  hun. 


4' 


y 


H\ 


TIIK  i;UE.\r    WIIITK   SOIiTIJ 


t 


M 


Tin-  travellers  li.ul  sulTered  greatly  from  tlie  utiacciistoiiictl 
use  of  siiow-slioes,  the  weijilit  (»!'  several  pounds  of  siiow 
eiitiJiiliK  to  the  shoes  having  ^alleil  and  lamed  their  feet. 
Net  the  journey  had  not  lieen  considered  as  wearinj;  as  that 
from  N'ork   Faefory  to  ( "iimherland   Mouse. 

The  return  of  neese,  dueks,  and  swans,  touether  with  the 
meltinj!;  of  the  snow  and  ice,  now  >i;ive  indications  of  approach- 
ing sprin«.     Mr.  H(»od  writes  of  this  time  :  — 

"The  noise  made  l.y  the  frojis,  which  thi<  iiiimdati(»n  pro- 
duced, is  almost  incredilile.  There  is  strony;  reason  to  he- 
lieve  that  they  outlive  the  severity  of  winter.  They  havc^ 
often  heen  found  fro/en.  and  revived  hy  warmth  ;  nor  is  it 
|)(>ssil)|e  that  the  multitude  which  incessantly  filled  our 
ears  with  their  discordant  notes  could  have  heen  matured  in 
two  or  three  days." 

Speakin«  of  the  resuscitation  of  fish.   Knmklin  writes:  — 

"If  in  this  completely  frozen  state,  they  were  thawed  he- 
fore  the  fire,  they  recovered  their  animation.  Ttiis  was  par- 
ticularly the  case  with  the  carp,  and  we  liad  occasion  to  ob- 
serve it  repeat(>dly.  as  Dr.  Richtirdson  occupied  himself  in 
oxamininv;  the  structure  of  the  different  species  of  fish,  and  was 
always  in  the  winter  ue'er  the  necessity  of  thawinjr  them 
before  he  could  cut  them.  \\'e  have  >een  a  carp  recover  >o 
far  as  to  leaj)  about  with  nuich  vij^or  after  it  had  been 
frozen  thirty-six  hours." 

Kichardson  and  Hood  now  joined  Franklin,  and  the  party 
mcreased  by  si\te(>n  Canadian  voyaijeurs,  a  Chiiiowyan 
woman,  and  two  interpreters,  ,nad(>  their  way  northward. 
It  was  now  the  middle  of  .July,  and  their  whole  stock  of  jiro- 
visions  consisted  of  liardly  more  than  one  day's  supply. 
Fortunately  they  soon  added  a  l)uffalo,  and  ;it  Moose  Deer 
Island  they  }>;ot  .<ome  sui)i)lies  from  the  Hudson  Bay  and 
Northwest  Company  ofKcers. 

.About    the    last    of  July    tiuv    nuchcd    Fort    Providence. 


H/.v /'/;/.'   AT  Four  K.WTKiiriush: 


85 


I'ldiii  tlif  linliaii  rliid'  Akaiti-lio  llify  M-cun-d  >^iii<l<'s,  the 
|);iity  liMviiiu;  liccii  iticnascil  to  t wciity-niiif,  rxclusivr  <>f 
Itiirc  cliililrcii.  A  jiMinicy  of  livi-  Imndrcd  uikI  filty-lu<» 
milfs  was  a(iiiiii|tli>li((l,  with  ii(»  little  lianlsliip.  Lack  of 
fiMxl  ami  otiicr  privation  causnl  tin- ( 'anadiaii  voyay;<'urs  to 
liii'ak  out  ill  open  iimtiiiy.  At  Fort  lOiitcrprisc  winter  (juar- 
ttis   uci't'   cstalilislu'd. 

llarly  in  Octolicr,  Mack  and  a  party  returned  t<)  Fort 
Providence  to  arranj;''  for  the  transportation  of  stores  ex- 
pected from  ( 'uniberland  House.  The  stores  were  anx- 
ictusly  awaited,  and  it  was  hoped  tlu'v  wouM  arrive  i)y  New 
^'ear's  Day,  lS'2l.  In  the  meantime  the  party  w»'re  suh- 
sis'iinjf  for  the  most  part  on  reindeer  meat,  fi.  h  twice  a 
Week,  and  a  little  Hour.  The  midtjle  of  January  si'V<'n  of 
liack's  party  returned,  hrinf^inj?  with  them  as  many  stores 
as  they  could  haul. 

.\  little  later  liack  returned,  havina;  performed  on  foot 
the  remarkable  journey  of  more  than  eleven  hundred  miles 
on  snow-shoes,  sleepin)^  in  the  open,  with  only  the  protection 
of  a  lilanket  and  a  deerskin,  the    thermometer  frecjuently  at 


\{f 


an( 


I  once  at  .")7^  below  zen 


an( 


h 


)assni}f  sev( 


ral  (1 


iiy 


without  food. 

The  la'l;:!.'  of  the  fireat  fur  ccjinpanies  to  keep  their  con- 
tracts had  resulteil  in  almost  no  i)rovisions  beinj;  secured.  At 
Imm'1  ilnterprise  it  was  now  found  necessary  to  curtail  ra- 
tions to  the  most  meaji;re  amount,  and  many  of  the  Indian 
families  campeil  about  the  house  were  obliged  to  satisfy  the 
cravinj;s  of  hun<!;er  with  bones,  deer's  feet,  and  bits  of  other 
offal. 

"When,"  says  Franklin,  "we  behold  thom  Knawing  the 
])ieces  of  hide,   and  i)o\uidin}i;  the  bones  for  the  purpose  of 


extractni";    some    nourishmen 


t    fi 


om 


th 


lem  by  boiiiuK,  we 
reiiretted  our  inal>ility  to  relieve  th(>m,  but  little  thought 
that  we  ourselves  should  be  afterwards  driven  to  the  nece.s- 


?  1 


^:l 


86 


TUK  (;HEAT    WlllTK  SOUTH 


sily  of  caiicrly  collect iiii;  these  siitiic  holies,  u  second  time, 
from  the  (hmii-liill." 

I:i  July,  IV-M.  the  expediti-)!!  haviiifi;  (lr:ij;y;e(l  canoes 
and  liaiiiialii'  with  lilteen  days'  provisions  to  the  hank  of 
the  ('oi)pennine,  emharked  upon  the  main  ol),iect  of  the 
cnterprix'.  By  the  2.")th  they  had  doul)led  Cape  Barrow, 
and  its  eastern  .-ide  they  named  Inman  Harhor.  The 
(landers  and  discoura<;ements  that  heset  Arctic  traveUers 
soon  fell  to  their  lot.  Their  >tock  of  food,  re])h'nishe'l  with  a 
few  deer,  soon  hecame  exhauste(l,  and  the  ration  issued  to 
each  man  was  a  ineai^re  handful  ol  penuuican  and  a  small 

])()rtion  of  SOU]). 

By  the  oth  of  August,  they  had  reached  the  Back  River 
and  then  (-\i)lored  Melville  Sound  and  Bathurst  Inlet. 
Havinji  reached  Point  Turnaffiin,  and  meetiuii  with  no  Ks- 
kimos  who  could  replenish  their  provisions,  Franklin  was 
ol.li.iied  to  turn  hack,  havinji  sailed  nearly  six  hundred  jjeo- 
graiihical  miles  in  tracing  the  irregular  shore  of  Corjnation 
Oulf  from  the  ('opi)erinine  i{iver. 

Ueihiceil  to  the  last  extremity  for  want  of  food,  th(>  last 
l)it  of  pemmican  and  arrowroot  havinu'  formed  a  scaniy  sup- 
])er.  and  without  means  of  makint-  a  fire,  th(>  forlorn  ])arty 
s])ent  the  fiftli  day  of  Sei)teml)er  in  hed  while  a  snowstorm 
rau-ed  ahove  them  and  drifted  into  their  tent,  covering  their 
thin  blankets  several  inches.  ( »f  ti'is  day  writes  Franklin  : — 
"Our  sufferinu;  from  cold,  in  a  comfortless  canvas  tent  in 
such  weather  with  iiie  temperature  at  20°,  and  without  fire, 
will  easily  he  imat>;ined  ;  it  was,  however,  less  than  that 
whii-h  we  felt  from  Inmsicr." 

lM)r  two  days  they  live(l  o!i  a  lichen  known  as  tripe  dc 
r(H'h(\  and  on  th(>  lOth  "they  sot  a  jiood  me.al  hy  killins  a 
musk-ox.  To  skin  and  cut  up  the  animal  was  the  work  of 
a  few  minute-^.  The  cont(>nts  of  its  stomach  were  devoured 
U])on  the  si)ot;    raw    inte.>tiues.    which  were    next    attacked, 


\     . 


.sv.i/.T.ir/o.v  ^^ 

wciv  ,)n.iumiic.'.l  l.y  th."  mot  .Idirutc  utn..n};st  us  to  be  cx- 

"  ThcrflVcts  of  MilTcriiiJi  and  laiuinc  hcjiaii  to  show  thcin- 
s,.lvc<  ill  111''  iniprovi.lcncf  aiul  indinViviirc  ..f  \Ur  men. 
Tlurr  lishii.ji-iu'ts  w.  iv  \vh  l.rlmul,  and  .me  ol  lUr  cnnocs 
„n.krn  a.ul  ul.andonrd.  Mo.>rs.  an  o.ra^u.nal  pa.tndiir 
,,,;  ,/,  ,„,Ar,  l.its  of  >inii.'d  hidr,  and  such  mamnv  as  n.u  d 
|„.  ,xtia  'ted  from  (inds  of  l.oncs  of  animaU  lonucd  .hru-  only 

""Thou-h  uvak  and  hum',  P.a<'k  pushed  fonvard  in  xviirli  of 
,,,li,.f      ()n(>  l.v  one  th(-  starvin-  n.-'U   f.U    I'V  th.'  wayMdc 
Hood.  suhVrin"^  fron,  th.  ..Ihrt^  of /,//.•  <h:  mclu ,  whwh  nrvrr 
.,.,,,vd  with  him,  iK'.'am.'  too  cxhausfd  t..  ,.ronr.L  and  Dr. 
iri.'hardson  vohint.HTcd  to  .vmain  with  him.     .\s  on.-  l.y  nin- 
th., various  mcmlHTs  .In.pjx'd  d..wn  with  fati-ue.  .n.ly  live 
lK..i.h.s  Kir.nklin  w.'iv  left  in  tlu-  advan.v  party.      1  h.'sr  .'..n- 
tinu.'d  th.'ir  w.'arv  i,il-rhmmv,  .'h.'.'r.'.l  with  thr  hop.'  that  at 
Fort  Ent.'ri.risc  woul.l  be  foun.l  sh.'hor  and  tlu'  nui.-h-n.'.'.l.'. 
.uppli.'s  whi.'h  ha.l  iH'i'U  pn.miM'd  th.'m.     Alas!    thnr  p-u-f 
an.l   di^appointm.'tit    may   Ik-   imapm-.l   upon   .'nt.'nmv   ,1ns 
wretched  d.'pot   to   tiu.l   it   des.)late   an.l  without    a   v.'st.^.' 
of  i)rovisions. 

"It  woul.l  be  impossil)!.'."  says  Franklin,  -t..  .lescnbe  our 
..msati.ms  aft.-r  enterinjv  this  mis.'rabl.'  ab.,.U'.  and  .hs.-ov.'r- 
i,,...  iH.w  we  ha.l  b<'<'n  n.'jil.'.'t.'d  :  th.'  whol.'  party  sh.d 
t.^rs  n.)t  so  much  for  our  own  fat.'  as  f..r  that  of  our  iri.'U.ls 
i„  ,h,.  rear  whos.'  lives  .l.'p.'ud.'d  entirely  on  our  s..ndm-  nu- 
lue.liat.'  relief  from  this  i)lac.'."  „     ,      ,   ,■ 

To  Ih.'ir  surpris..  they  foun.l  a  n..te  tr..m  l>ack  statm- 
that  h.'  ha.l  n'a.'he.!  the  sh.^lter  tw..  .lays  b.'for.'  by  an.)th.r 
rout.'  an.l  ha.l  hnm.'.Uat.'ly  pr.-ss.'.l  ..n  in  Ihmh'  .>t  hn.hnu  th.- 
Indians,  an.l  if  n.>t.  h.'  w.ml.l  .Urect  his  ^t.'p>  t..  I  ..rt  I  n.vi- 
.l,,,.'.-,  th.-uiih  h.'  .l.mbte.l  if  he  and  his  imrty  eoul.l  reach 
there  in  ih.'ir  present  unfortunate  con.htion. 


88 


////•;   (ilUlAT    WIUTK   SOUTH 


Fniiikliii  aiwl  his  iikmi  fiatlHTcd  tojictlui-  what  (•(•uM  Ik; 
used  as  looil  ai)i|  iouinl  sfvcral  deerskins  thai  had  lieen 
thrown  away  tiie  previous  year  and  a  tew  Ixdies  <;atlii're<l 
iVoni  the  ''efuse  lieap.  These,  with  triiic  dc  nicln ,  they  made 
into  a  SOU])  and  eiKh'avouicd  to  support  ht'e  on  the  iiutrid 
mass.  Later  on  one  more  me.ni)er  of  the  i)arty  came  in,  and 
a  day  or  two  after  a  man  named  Hahm^er  of  liaek's  party 
reached  cam])  in  all  hut  a  dyinji  condition.  Wv  h;d  fallen 
into  a  rapiil,  had  come  near  drowninj;,  and  was  then  speech- 
less from  exhaustion  and  exi)o>ure.  When  warmed,  diy 
clothing  put  on,  and  <i;iven  a  little  soup,  he  was  sudicieiitly 
restored  to  answer  (juestions. 

Hack  had  not  found  the  Indians  and  was  makini;  for  Fort 
Providence.  Thither  I'ranklin  determined  to  follow  liim 
with  two  of  his  men,  the  others  volunteering  to  remain 
until  succour  should  l»e  sent  to  them.  ()wiii,i;'  to  an  un- 
fortunate accident  to  his  suow-slioes,  Franklin  was  oMip'd 
to  return  to  cam])  the  next  day,  sendiiii;  on  his  companions 
alone. 

The  ])o()r  wretclies  that  had  heen  left  at  Fort  Fnteri)rise 
were  in  mhIi  a  \veakened  state  that  it  was  with  didiculty  that 
Franklin  could  rouse  them  to  any  exertion. 

"We  saw,"  writes  Franklin,  "a  herd  of  reindeer  si)ortinji; 
on  th(>  river,  aliout  half  a  mile  from  the  house  ;  they  re- 
mained there  a  lon<i  time,  but  none  of  the  ])arty  felt  them- 
selves stronji  enoujih  to  ^o  after  them,  nor  was  then*  one  of 
us  who  could  have  fired  a  }iun  without  restinji  it." 

I'liiihteen  lon<>:  days  ])assed  slowly  by,  durin<i  which  they 
endured  fri<>;htful  privations,  when  Or.  Hicliardson  and 
Hephurn  reached  them,  greatly  enfeehled  and  emaciated. 
"The  doctor  i)articularly  remarked  the  sepulchr.al  tones  of 
our  voices,  v.hich  he  re(|uested  of  us  to  make  more  cheerful, 
if  possilile.  miconscious  that  liis  own  ])ar1ook  of  the  ^ame  k<',\'." 
H())lrarii  divided  a  l)artridf;i-   he  had  shut    and,  sa\  >   Fratdv- 


/•/.M.vA/,/.v".s  si:((>.\i>  .lot  ii.\i-:y 


c^'J 


liii.  "1  und  my  tlircf  rdinpuiiiDiis  rnvfiiously  (Icvourcil  our 
sluircs,  as  it  was  the  iir-t  iiiDrsfl  of  llcsli  any  of  us  lia<l  tasted 
for  thirty-one  days,  unless,  indeed,  the  small,  jiristly  particles 
wliicli  we  found  occasionally  a<lh('rin<^  to  tlic  i)oundeil  hones 
may  be  called  Mesh." 

Dr.  Richardson  then  told  of  the  trajiic  death  of  H(.oil,  who 
had  l»een  nuu-derecl  hy  the  Inxiuois.  Michel,  whose  threaten- 
iiiH  demeanour  they  had  noted  for  some  days,  and  whom  they 
afterwtU'ds  suspeeteil  of  havin<;-  put  an  end  to  two  ol  her 
memi)ers  of  the  party.  I'nder  the  circumstances,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  self-preservation,  it  was  deemed  necessary  to  end  the 
Indian's  life,  and  this  Dr.  Uichardson  did  with  a  pi.-tol- 
shot. 


The  (lav  after  the  arrival  of  Ricli.an 


-  in  ani 


1  Ileplmrn,  two 


)f    the    i)arty    died.      Finally,    ea 


rlv    in     Xovemlier,     Indian 


messenj^ers  sent 


hy   Back  hroujilit   the  lon,sied-for  relief,   the 
'vinciny;   humanity  that   would    have   done    honor 


Ii\dian.- 

to  the  most   civilize(l  i)eo|)le."      \\ 


U'U   the  i)arty  were 


sulli- 


cien 


tlv  restored  to  health  with  food  and  idml  nursinii.  they 


started  for  Fort  diipewyan. 


.here  thev  remained  until  June 


ol    the  toilowmjii;  vear. 


In  .hilv  tliev  reached  ^'ork  Factory. 


whence  three  years  iu'fore  they  had  .startecl  ()\it. 

In  this  remarkahle  journey  of  over  five  thousand  five 
Inmdred  and  fifty  miles,  human  endurance  and  patience  had 
iieen  jnit  to  the  uttermost  test:  the  wonderful  coura.iie  and 
fortitude  with  which  th(>se  heroes  hraved  a  fate  that  threat- 
ened them  at  every  step.  mak(>  this  one  of  the  most  remark- 
alile  feats  in  Arctic  historv. 


A  more  ( 
vovajic,  an< 


nevert 


'he(>rful  picture  ])resents  itself  in  Franklin's  second 
1,  thouiih  fortunately  not   so  tr:uiie  .as  the  first,  it 


heless  demonstrates  his   remark;il)le   li'adership. 


iini 


In'  conjunction  with  the  IJeechey  e\p<Mlition  m  the  I, loss, 
and  Parry's  expedition  with  the  Hid"  ;md  /'^/n/.  a  third  ex- 
•  i-'iliiji'.n  \v,",s  j)!'onioted  :u>d.  u|)oa  re([uest  of  Franklin,  put 


'to 


TiiH  CHEAT  wiiiri:  MHiril 


under  liis  chariic  The  outliiii'  of  operations  was  for  tliis 
])ai'ty  to  tlescenil  the  Macken/  \vy  to  the  sea,  and  tliere 

to  di\ide  the  I'oree,  one  sectio:  .o  (  \))Ioie  the  coast  east  to 
the  (  "opiKTUiine,  while  the  other  --hould  take  a  westerly 
course  and  round  Ice  ("a|)e  and,  it'  pos>il)le,  Hehrinji;  Strait. 
l'rolitin<i'  hy  i)ast  experience,  tlie  party  were  ain|)ly  pro- 
visioned from  the  outset;  in  fact,  a  dehiy  of  sotne  inontlis 
was  recjuireil  to  secure  the  ncM'cs^ary  amount  of  pemmicati. 

rndatniteil  liy  the  liard<lii])s  endured  on  tlie  previous 
voyajic,  Back  and  liichardson  vohmteered  a.nain  to  accom- 
pany Franklin  ;  .Mr.  Ken(hdl,  a  mate  in  the  navy,  and  Mr. 
T.  Drummomh  a  naturahst,  were  also  oi  the  party.  Four 
carefully  cmi^trucled  boats  were  sent  ahead  in  one  of  the 
Uud>on  Hay  ( "onipany's  shi|)s,  and  in  .)uly.  182'),  the 
Franklin  party  reached  Fort  ("hipewyan. 

They  reached  (Ireat  Hear  Lake  without  incident,  and  tluTo 
erected  winter  ((uarters  imder  the  direction  of  Back  and 
Dease.  the  latter  heinii  detailed  hy  the  Hudson  P)ay  ( "onipany 
to  a>sist  th(-  (\\])edition.  Althou;;h  the  season  was  well 
advanced,  Franklin  set  out,  witli  a  small  party,  to  make  a 
six-day  journey  down  the  Mackenzie  lor  the  purjjose  of 
examinin<>;  the  state  of  the  Polar  Sea.  They  reach(>d  an 
island  to  which  he  uave  the  name  of  (iarry  Island,  and  as- 
cended the  sununit.  from  which  "the  s(>a  appeared  in  al!  its 
majesty,  (Mitirely  free  from  ice,  and  without  any  visible 
obstructions  to  its  naviiiation,  and  never  was  a  ]>rospoct 
mori'  p;ratifyin,2;  than  that  which  lay  open  to  us."  H(>re 
the  silken  I'nion  .lack  made  by  the  hands  of  Anne  Ponb^n 
was  unfuiied,  the  news  of  whose  <l(<ath  had  hut  lately  reached 
h<'r  husl>au<l. 

'■[  will  not."  writes  Fra?iklin.  ''attempt  to  describe  my 
emotions  as  it  exjianded  to  tlie  breez(\" 

l^y  the  7th  of  Se])tember  the  ])arty  had  returne(l  to  P\)rt 
Franklin,  and   the  iona;  winter  was  passed   in  comparative 


DESCIJXT    OF    Till-:    MA(  KES/AE    I'dVl.ll 


111 


oomfort.     I'A-ory  clTort  \v;vs  made  to  armisc  aiul  iiitcTcst  \\w 
men,  the  entire  luunher  ('(insist inji;  of  nearly  tilty,  includinu; 


niK 


les,  iiiteri)re1ers,  Canadian  voya,«eurs,  and  Indian^ 


The  f()llo\vin<f  .liine,  1S2(),  preparations  were  made  for  the 
important  work  of  the  expedition.  DesceiuUnji;  the  Mac- 
kenzie in  four  boats  to  the  Pohir  Sea,  the  party  liere  divided., 
Captain  Frankhn  and  Lieutenant  liaek  witii  fourteen  men 
]nishinf^  to  the  westwa  1,  Dr.  Hicliardson  with  Mr.  Ken(hUl 
assisted  by  ten  men  in  two  boats  jioing  in  an  easterly  direc- 
tion toward  the  Cojijiermine   River. 

Soon  after  i)artin'2;,  Franklin's  party  had  an  unfortunate 
encounter  with  I'^skimos,  wlio  pilhwd  their  stores  and 
caused  them  considerable  amioyance.  ^Iakin<;;  his  way 
westward,  he  encountered  dirty  weather  and  jienet rating 
fo<?s,  which  kept  the  i)oor  shiverint;;  men  i)eri)etuallj'  en- 
velop(>d  in  moisture.  However,  he  reached  latitude  70°  21' 
X.,  longitude  \\\f  '<M'  W.,  which  point  of  land  he  named 
after  Lieutenant  Back.  He  had  surveyed  three  hundred  and 
s(>venty-four  miles  of  coast. 

It  was  now  deemed  advisabh^  to  r(>tuni,  and  by  September 


;?1  tlie  party  re 


■h(>d  Fort    Franklin,  where   Richardson  and 


his  i)arty  had  returned  some  days  earlier  after  a  successful 
voyage  of  five  hundred  mil(>s,  or  nine  hundred  and  two  by  the 


coa 


>t-l 


me 


The  i)arty  under  Richardson  had  been  favoured  with  jiood 
weatl\er,  and,  thouiih  detained  by  an  occasional  storm,  were 
on  the  whole  most  fortunate.  One  of  these  shelters,  Refuge 
Cove,   Dr.    Richardson  ilescrib(>s  :  — 

"Myriads  of  mosciuitoes,  wliich  reposed  among  the  grass, 


imoni 
nuic 


atmovance, 


r()S(>  in  clouds  when  disturbed,  and  gave  us 

Manv  snow  birds  were  hatching  on  the  point  ;    and  we  saw 


swans,  C 


anad 


la  geese,  eider,  king,   Arctic 


an( 


I  surf  (hu'ks 


several    glaucous,    silvery,    black-headed,    and    iv<*ry    giills, 
togeUier   with   terns   and   northern   divers.     Some   laughing 


i)2 


THE   liUKAT    Will  IK  .SOUTH 


pM'sc  piisscd  (()  llic  iiortliwiird  in  tiic  cvciiiiiji,  which  may  In' 
(•on>i(lcn'il  as  a  sine  iiKncalimi  ol   land  in  thai   difcctiou." 

Diiriiiir  the  Mcund  wiiiltT  pa.-srd  al  l''()it  Kraiikiiii,  the 
tliciinoinclrr  IVII  a>  lovv  as  .IS'  liclow  zci'o.  The  I'lnjihshiiicii 
spent  thi'ir  tiini'  in  making;  siMcnlific  ()liscrvali()n>  and  coin- 
plctiny;  tiicir  data  and  records.  Food  and  wai'nith,  coin- 
hincil  with  <iood  health,  niad<'  it  pass  comparatively  (luickly, 
:ind  in  the  sprinj;  the  j)arty  made  their  way  l)ack  to  I'injiland. 

Honours  of  the  nio>l  hstinmiished  character  awaited  Frank- 
lin upon  his  return.  'I'o  the  map  ol  North  .Vmerica  he  had 
addeil  no  less  than  twelve  hundre(l  miles,  for  which  the  nation 
i'en<lei'ed  him  enthusiastic  applause.  In  1S2'.>  he  was  kniy;hted, 
<  )\t'ord  conl'erred  on  him  the  dciiree  ol"  I).(".li..  and  the 
( !eo,iirai)hical  Society  ol"  Paris  awarded  him  a  ^^old  medal. 

(ii  his  second  marriaue  Franklin  was  most  fortunate  in 
winninu;  a  cultured,  travelle<l  woman  of  wealth,  Jane  (irifiin, 
who<e  symi)athies  were  entirely  in  harmony  with  his  own, 
and  v.'hose  devotion  to  his  memory  kept  alive  for  twelve 
years  the  intei'ot  of  the  world  in  ceaseless  efforts  to  ascertain 
his  fate.  The  succeedin<i;  years  until  the  hist  ill-fated  voyaj^e 
were  most  happily  divided  between  a  cruise  on  the  Mediter- 
ranean, in  which  l''raiiklin  commanded  the  lidiiihou-  with 
such  pleasure  to  the  crew  and  officers  that  the  ship  won  tlu^ 
cheerful  sohriiiuet  of  Cihsliid  liainhiHr  and  \\\v  Pavitdise  of 
Fninldiii,  and  the  governorship  of  the  colony  of  \'an  Die- 
men's  Land,  or  Tasmania,  a  i)ost  he  held  for  seven  years 
with  admiralile  success.  Franklin  hud  only  been  a  few  mouths 
in  10n<il;mil  when  the  .Vilmiralty,  throuj^h  Sir  .Jolm  Barrow, 
for  many  years  an  enthusiastic  i)r()moter  of  Arctic  enter- 
))rise,  decided  upon  another  e\|)editi()ii  to  et"fect  the  discovery 
of  tlu>  Northwest  Passage.  It  is  recorihnl  that  the  First  Lord 
of  the  .Vdmiralty,  Lord  Haddinjiton,  in  conversiiiK  with  Sir 
I'ldward  Parry  upon  the  ad\i^al)ility  of  of'feriiiji;  Franklin  the 
post  of  commandinji;  officer,  remarked:  — 


LA.sl     .lol  l!.\Ky    OF    Slli    JOIIS     lUASKLlS         '.';'> 


1  >(■('  Fniiiklin   is  sixty  years  old.     ()uy,lil   we  to  let    him 


to  which  I'aiTV  answered 


"My  lord,  he  is  tlie  hest   man  h)r  the  jxxt   !  know,  and  if 
von  don't   h>t   liim  go,   he  will,   1   am  certain,  die  of  disai)- 


)oiiitineiit. 
In  an   in 


terview   with    Franklin,    Lord    Haddington  spoke 


agam  u 


f  liis  age  lieing  sixty,  and  added, 


"You  might  he  content  with  your  hmnls,  afti-r  having 
done  so  much  for  your  coimtry,"  to  wliich  Franklin  replied 
witli  all  the  eugeriu'ss  of  youth, — 

"Xo,  no!    my  lord,  only  fifty-nine!" 

Lord  Brougham,  when  told  that  the  connnand  had  heeu 
accepted  by  Franklin,  remarked,  — 

"Arctic  work  gets  into  the  blood  of  these  men.  They 
aiut  help  going  again  if  th.'y  get  a  chani'e." 

Tlie  Knhus  ami  Tenor  were  both  shii)s  that  had  seen 
.\rcticand  Antarctic  seas.  They  weie 
provisioned  for  three  years  and  supplieil  with  every  facility 
for  scientific  and  geographi<"il  ol>servations.  'llie  com- 
bined crews  and  officers   number  one   hundred   an<l   thirty- 

ght  soul:^.     Li  company  with  the  transjjort.  liarrdo  .1 


manv  vears  service  m 


ei 


innor. 


lit  ion 


ailed  from  (Ireenhithe  on  the   l!Hh  of  >Liy, 


the  e.xpet 
1S45. 

The  4th  of  .luly,  they  reached  Whale  Fi.sh  Isla.id,  near 
Disco,  in  CJreenlaud,  and  here  the  lidirdo  .hiiiior  transferred 
to  tlu>  Errhi..  ir.d  Terror  her  extra  stores,  returning  to  F:ng- 
land  with  the  last  message  from  Franklin  ever  received  by 

the  Admiralty. 

lete  with  supi)lies  of  every  kind 


"Th(>  ships  are  now  comjil 

for  three  years:    they  are  therefore  very  deei).  but   haiii)ily 

to  expect  much  sea  as  \vv  proceed  furthiT." 

1   enthusiasm,    .lolm    Franklin    turned 


we  hiiw  no  r(\isou 


With   c(mfid(>nce   am 
to  the  north,  "much  Ix-tter  in  health."  Lieutenant  Fairholme 
liad  written,  "than  when  W(>  left  iiome,  and  reail\   look>  ten 


\| 
'"1 

il 


!'t 


rut:  i.iiiCM-  u  II III-:  soinii 


years  yoi'.npT.  Ilr  lakes  an  active  l)art  in  everytliiiifi;  that 
^oi  s  on,  and  his  Innn  exiterience  in  sueli  service  maizes  hini  a, 
niu^t    \:ihlaliic  adviser." 

On  the  L't'tth  of  .lui\-,  tiie  Primxof  W(tU-<.  a  whahnji  vessel, 
sav,  llie  two  >hi|)s  ill  MeKille  r>ay,  wai  in.u;  ;'.  i'avourahlc 
opportuniix'  i'oi'  pn.-hin^  throujih  the  "middle  ice."  Siunals 
weic  exeliaiined  ami  an  in\ilation  extendeil  to  Franklin  to 
dine  witli  th-  captain  of  the  whahum  >hii».  A  hrec/.e  sprin-j;- 
ini;;  n)),  the  EnUii.^  and  T(  rmr  parted  company  with  liic 
I'riiivi  of  \V(ih  ■<. 

As  if  allnrin^ly  l.eekone<l  by  that  fatal  enchantress,  tlio 
'•  Lady  of  tlie  Mists."  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his  <iallant  crew 
silenll\-  tilided  into  the  unknown,  and  from  that  hour  were 
lo-t   lo  the  world  forever. 


CHAPTER  VII 


iSi'iirch  for  Sir  John  Franklin.  —  Captain  Kcili'tt. — Captain  Moore. 

—  Dr.  Ricliardson.    -Dr.  Hac.  -     Sir  .1.  C.  Uoss.  -    Mr.  Parker. 

—  Dr.  Ciooil.-ir.  —  Collinson  and  .M'Ciiire.  -  -The  Fdi.c.  —  I'liinc 
Albert.  — ( 'onnnanileil  In'  ( 'harlesC '.  ror-;ytli.  — C'ai)tain  .Vustin's 
squa(h'on.     -('apLaiii  Onini.aney.     -Lieutenant    Slierard  Osliorn. 

—  Coiunianiler  ( 'ator.  —  ( Irinnell  expedit  ion  under  i)e  Haven. 

No  ti<lin<i;s  of  tlic  Krdni.-^  uiid  T(  rrar  haviuy;  reached  l-ntiland 
by  the  closo  of  1S17,  jircat  uiixicty  \v:is  felt  as  to  the  wlierc- 
iiliouts  and  fate  of  the  inis.«;iim;  shii)s.  The  govi  rnineiit  irii- 
iiicdiatcly  took  measures  to  out  lit  three  searehiiiji  |)arties. 
The  first  was  to  jio  westward  to  Hehriiiti-  Strait,  and  ther(> 
niei't  the  ships  with  assistance,  should  they  have  been  suc- 
t'(  ;sful  in  making  tlic  object  of  their  voya^ic,  and  for  this 
l)uri)ose  Captain  IIeiu\v  Kell(>tt  connnandinji  the  Iladhl  and 
Cai)taiu  Moore  in  the  sliip  I'loccr  left  Euj^land  in  January, 
ISJS. 

The  second  was  to  be  an  overland  and  boat  expedition 
with  its  object  to  exjilore  the  coast  of  the  Arctic  Sea  between 
the  Mackenzie  and  Coi)permin(^  rivers,  under  the  leadership 
of  that  faitliful  c()m])aiiion  and  friend  of  Sir  John  Franklin, 
Dr.  Sir  Jolui  Richardson,  accompanied  by  Rae,  \\\\o  had  but 
lately  returned  from  his  memorable  journey  of  lSlG-bS47. 

The  tliird  expedition  was  under  Sir  James  Clark  Ross 
in  the  ships  Enterprise  and  Inrcstiijdtur,  with  instructions  to 
mak(>  for  Lancaster  Sound  and  I»arrow  Strait,  examine  all 
tracks  of  the  missini!;  ships  westward  and  nnider  relief  if  the 
ships  shouhl  be  discovered  imi)risoned  in  th(>  ice. 

Owing   to   tlie   poor   sailing   (lualities   of   tlie   Plorcr   anil 

95 


w 


niK  (iut:.\r  wiiitE  soirni 


II, ml, I.  Ihf  ship-  wvrc  uiKililc  t(»  ir;u'!i  liiuli  l;Hitii<lcs  in  tiiiif 
to  pcnclnilc  tn  'hr  iiortli\v:ir.l  tluU  >■  a-oii,  and  iiol  iiiilil 
ihc  tollowiii-i  .lul\.  m  coiiiicuiy  with  ihc  \iiiirii  l)(iirs,,ii,  u 
pIraMiiv  yarht  1  x'ioiiiiini;  !<•  K<-li<'ft  Shclduii,  llx]..  did  tlicv 
puiMir  111.'  main  ..l'.i«<i  <'f  lt"ir  rxiuihtiuii.  July  IS.  1SI«>, 
they  Icl'l  (•haini>-o.  and  on  tlic  "JOth  thfy  were  oil'  ('ap<'  Li>- 
l.uni:  live  day-  lattr  they  pasx'd  ley  I'oint.  H<mv  they 
d(>l)atclird  111.'  llinihl's  pinnace  and  thnv  otlicr  boats,  with 
a  i)arly  of  twcnly-livf  men  witii  tlnvf  months'  provisions, 
tmdtT  (ommand  ol'  Lieutenant  I'ullen.  whose  instfuetions 
were  to  conno't  willi  the  Hiehardson  party,  one  (Uvision 
in  two  wlial<-l>oats  to  exteml  the  seafcli  to  tlie  Maeken/ie 
River,  a-eend  lliat  river,  and  return  hmnewaril  i)y  Fort  Hoi)e 
anil  York  Factory:  the  reniaininji  division  to  return  to  the 
rendezvous  of  tlie  >hips  at  Chamisso  Ishunk 

The  //(/•'//'/  and  /'/(//'(/■  cruised  northwanl  as  far  us  tlu> 
ice  would  permit,  tlien  explored  the  coast-tiiie  in  detail.  On 
the  7th  of  August ,  the  J[(r>il<l  sighted  new  territory.  Hunninji; 
close  to  the  i>lan.l,  they  found  it  l.arri'u,  and  for  the  most 
l)art  of  inaci'es<il»le  ii;ranite  cliffs. 

Tlie  Xiiiicii  Ihitrson  and  the  return  boats  under  Lieutenant 
I'ullen  rejoined  (he  Urmhl  l.y  the  2lth  of  Au.-just.  They  had 
parted  company  with  the  two  whale-l'O.its  at  Dease  Inlet. 
They  had  found  no  trace>  of  the  Franklin  ex]>edition,  but  liad 
h'ft  dei)o>its  of  jirovisions  at  interv.als  alony;  the  route. 

The  followiiiii  mofiths  were  spent  in  winter  (juarters,  and, 
as  soon  as  the  weather  permitted,  in  careful  examination  of 
th.'  inlets  and  coast  from  ley  ('ai)e  to  Point  Harrow  in  the 
hope  of  tindinji  traces  of  the  missinu;  party.  Disai^ponited 
at  a  fruitless  voyasie.  the  ships  returned  to  Knjiland  in  October, 
18r)(). 

In  his  official  rei)ort  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Admiralty,  Sir 
.h)!m  Hiehardson  irives  an  excellent  summary  of  the  results 
of  the  second  expedition.     He  says  in  part  :  — 


ii!(  II A  iiitso.\'s  uKi'oirr 


1)7 


"III  tlic  voyage  lirtwccii  the  Miickcuzic  ;ui<l  ( '()|)i)cnuiin',  I 
ciinliilly  executed  tlieir  lonUliii»>'  instruct  ions  with  n'spect  to 
llie   e.MiiniiiatiuM    of    tlie    coa>t-liiie.    :iMil    i>ecaine    fully    coii- 
viiiceil  that  no  shii)s  had  passed  within  view  of  the  mainland. 
It    is,   indeed,   nearly   inipossilile    that   they  co'  '  1  have  done 
so  unobserved  liy  some  of  the  numerous  partit-  of  Kskiinos 
on  tlie  look-out    for  whales.     We  w<'re,  moreover,  infornietl 
liy  the  lOskimos  of  Hat-kV  Inlet,  that  the  ice  had  been  jjicss- 
ing  on  their  shore  nearly  the  whole  summer;    and  its  closely 
l)acke(l  condition  when  we  left   it  on  the    Ith  of  September 
made  it  hij;hly  improl)alile  that  it  would  open  for  ship  navi- 
^;ation  later  in  the  season.      I   rcfiretted  extremely  that   the 
state  of   the   ice   i)revei\ted   me   from   crossinfj;   to   WoUastou 
Land,  and  thus  completinji-,  in  one  season,  tiie  whole  scheme 
of     their     lor<lshii)s'     instructions.     The    openiiifz;     between 
Wollaston  and   Victoria  Lands  has  always  api)eared  to  me 
to  possess  jireat   interest,  for  throufih  it    the  tloo<l-tide  evi- 
dently sets  int(j  Coronation  (lulf,  div;Tjiinp;  to  the  westward 
l>y  the  Dolphin  and  Union  Strait,  and  to  the  eastward  round 
Caiie  Alexander.     By  the  fifth  clause  of  Sir  John  Franklin'.s 
instructions,    he    is    directed    to   steer    southwestward    from 
Cajje  \\'alker,  which  would  lead  liim  nearly  in  the  direction 
of  the  strait   in  ([Uestion.     If  Sir  .lohn  found  liarrow  Strait 
as  oiM'u  as  when  Sir  Edward   Parry  )Kissed  it  on  four  i)re- 
vious  o<-casions.  I  am  convinced  that  (comi)lyin<>;  as  exactly 
as  he  could  with  his  instructions  and  without  looking  into 
Wellington  Sound,  or  other  oixMiings  either  to  the  south  or 
north  of   Barrow  Strait)   he   i>ushed   directly  west    to  ('ai)e 
Walker,  and  from  thence  soutlnvestwards.     If  so,  the  ships 
were  probably  shut  up  on  som(>  of  i\w  passages  between  Vic- 
toria. Banks,  and  Wollaston  Lands. 

"Being  apprehensive  that  the  boats  I  left  on  the  coast 
would  b(>  broken  up  by  the  Eskimos,  and  being,  moreover, 
of  opinion  that  the  examination  of  the  oi)ening  in  question 


its 


'////•;  (iiiKAT  HI/ in:  soimi 


\ 


V 


iiiiulif  Im'  s;it(ly  ;iii(|  clliciriitly  [Hrluniifd  in  the  oiilv  rt'inaiii- 
liii;  Ixi.it  1  had  tit  t'lir  llic  tiaii>|Hirt  I'loiii  I?rar  Lakr  td  the 
(  nplMTiiiiiK',  1  (It'tniiiiiicil  to  ciitnist  this  iiiipoitaiit  >civicf 
to  Mr.  Har,  who  vohiiitrrrcil,  and  whox-  aliility  and  zeal 
ill  ihr  caiiH'  1  caiiiiot  to(»  hiiihly  coiiimriid.  He  srlt'ctcd  an 
•  •xcrllnii  crrw,  all  ol  thi'iii  cxiMTiiiind  voyap'iir-  and  capa- 
\>\v  of  tindinn  tlnir  way  Itack  to  I'xar  l,ak<'  without  jiuidcs. 
should  any  unroicsrcn  accidi'iit  deprive  them  of  tin  ir  leader. 

"Ill  the  iiioiilh  of  Mareh  (ISI'J)  a  siiflieieiit  xipply  of  pein- 
iiiican,  and  other  necessary  stores,  with  the  e(iuii)inents  of 
the  i'Oat,  Were  transported  over  the  siiow  on  (loii->led<res 
to  a  na\ijial)li  part  of  the  Kendall  l{iver.  and  left  there  under 
the  ehaiK*'  of  two  men.  .\s  xioti  as  the  I  )ease  broke  up  ill 
June,  Mr.  Kae  would  follow,  with  the  lioat,  the  rest  of  the 
crew,  and  a  i)arty  of  Indian  liunters,  and  would  descend 
the  ( "oijpermiiie  IJiver  aiiout  the  iniildle  of  .luly,  at  which 
till'."  the  sea  ^icnerally  lie,<;iiis  to  l)re;d<  up.  He  would  then, 
as  .soon  as  possiMe,  cross  from  Cape  Krusen>teni  to  UOIla-ton 
hand,  and  endeavor  to  |)enetrate  to  the  northward,  erecting 
sifiiKil-coluinns,  and  niakinu;  dei)o-its  on  con>picuous  head- 
lands, and  especially  on  the  north  shore  of  Hanks'  Land, 
should  he  he  fortunate  enouuli  to  attain  that  coast.  He  was 
further  instructeil  not  to  hazard  the  safety  of  his  party  hy 
remainino;  too  lomi  on  the  north  side  of  Dolphin  and  rnion 
Strait,  and  to  he  liuided  in  his  movements  hy  the  season,  the 
state  of  the  ice,  and  such  intelligence  as  lie  mifilit  ohtain 
from  the  I]skinios.  He  was  also  reciuested  to  ennajie  one  or 
more  families  of  Indian  hunters  to  ])ass  the  summer  of  ISO") 
on  the  l)aiiks  of  tlie  ("o])permine  River,  to  he  ready  to  as.-ist 
any  party  that  may  ilirect  their  course  that  way." 

The  (ith  of  July.  ISlS,  found  the  Eidcrprisr  and  fnirstnjotor 
of  the  third  ex])edition  at  the  Danish  sett!,  ineiit  of  I'per- 
navik  ;  from  this  ))ort  Sir  .lames  ( 'lark  Ho-- wrote  a  letter  to 
the  British  Ailmiralty  stating  that   after   })assin<i  a  second 


'  I 


r 

I 


Slit    JAMi:S    (LARK    ItOSS 


09 


winter  near  Tort  Leopold,  sliould  no  traces  of  Sir  John 
Franklin's  parly  be  (li>e()Vere,l,  he  wouKl  send  \\ii' Inir.-<llii<ilur 
under  Captain' Bird  hark  to  Kn^land  and  proceed  with  the 

search  alone. 

This  caused  jireat  uneasiness  at  the  Admiralty,  and  the 
Xnrtli  Star  \\-A>  at  once  despatched  with  a  supi)ly  of  extra 
stores  and  insi ruction  to  iioss  to  remain  in  comi)any  with 
tlie  h,r(sti<i,ilnr  and  not  h .How  out  the  de>i-n  exjm'ssed  in 
his  letter.  The  Xcrth  Star  was  fiu-ther  instructed  that 
shouhl  she  fail  to  reach  the  >hips,  stores  were  to  he  left  at  the 
farthest  i)oint  she  could  reach  in  safety,  and  then  she  should 
return  to  iMi^land.  Thou-h  explicitly  warned  apiinst 
frettinji  Leset  in  the  ice,  the  season  of  1849  passed,  and  the 
Xorth  SUir  did  not  return,  thus  causing  great  anxiety  m 
England  as  to  h(>r  safety. 

To  return  to  the  Enterprise  and  Innstigator,  those  two 
ships,  after  leaving  Uijernavik,  had  fouml  very  unfavoural.le 
conditions  in  the  ic(%  which  necessitated  towing  the  shiiw 
or  proceeding  slowly  under  ligiit  winds  and  cahns.  By  the 
23d  of  August,  the  ships  had  reached  Pond  Bay,  having 
sustained  severe  shocks  through  ice  pressure  and  other  (Us- 
couraging  conditions.  They  kept  close  to  the  shore,  firing 
guns  and  sending  up  .signals  at  fre(iuent  intervals,  but  no 
sign  of  Flskiinos  or  other  human  beings  were  discovered. 

I'l^on  reacliing  Possession  liay,  a  iiarty  was  sent  on  shore 
to  s(>arch  for  traces  of  the  expedition,  but  nothing  was  found 
except  a  paper  left  there  by  Sir  Edward  Parry  on  the  same 
day  (August  30)  in  1819.  Again  at  Cape  York  another 
party  went  ashore,  and.  though  no  traces  were  fomid.  a  con- 
spicuous mark  was  enacted  for  the  benefit  of  any  other  party 
that  might  reach  there.     The  ships  then  proceed.'d. 

"We  stood  over,"  writes  Sir  .lames  Ross,  "toward  North- 
east Cape  until  wr  came  in  with  the  edge  of  a  ])ack,  too 
(k'nsc    for  u.s  to  penetrate,   lying  l>etw<>eii   us  and  Leopold 


100 


rilK  (.HKAT    WIIITF  NORTH 


Island,  about  fourteen  niil(>s  l)roa(l ;  we  tlierefore  coasted  the 
north  shore  of  liarrow  Strait,  to  seek  a  harbour  further  to 
the  westward,  and  to  examine  the  numerous  inlets  of  that 
shore.  Maxw(>ll  Hay,  and  several  smaller  indentations,  were 
thorou}j;hly  (wjjlored,  and,  although  we  f^ot  near  the  entranee 
o?  Wellington  ('hann<>l,  the  firm  barrier  of  ice  which  stretched 
across  it,  and  which  had  not  broken  away  this  season,  con- 
vinc(>d  us  all  was  imjjracticable  in  that  direction.  We  now 
stood  to  the  southwest  to  seek  for  a  harbour  near  (^ipe  Ren- 
nell,  but  found  a  heavy  body  of  ice  e.xteiidinji  from  the  west 
t)f  Cornwallis  Island.  (  oast  ng  along  the  pack  during 
stormy  and  foggy  wtvither,  we  had  difficulty  in  keeping  the 
ships  free  during  the  nights,  for  I  believe  so  great  a  quan- 
tity of  ice  was  never  before  seen  in  Barrow  Strait  at  this 
period  of  the  season." 

By  the  11th  of  Sejitember,  the  .ships  found  winter  quarters 
in  the  harbour  of  Port  LeojMjld,  and  almost  unmediately  the 
ice  pack  closed  in  and  formed  a  complete-  barrier  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  winter.  \'arious  e.\i)loring  and  surveying 
j<)urn(>ys  were  undertaken  during  this  winter  and  th(>  coast 
carefully  examined  in  all  directions,  but  no  trace  of  Franklin 
or  his  ships  was  discovered. 

The  crew  caught  in  traps  a  number  of  white  foxes,  and 
knowing  how  far  these  animals  will  roam  in  search  of  food, 
th(>  men  clasp(>d  round  the  animals'  necks  copper  collars,  on 
which  were  written  the  position  of  the  shii)s  and  dejiots  of 
lirovisions,  and  the  creatures  were  set  at  liberty  in  the  hope 
they  would  be  caught  by  some  of  the  ill-fated  party. 

During  April  and  May,  Captain  Hoss,  accompanied  by  Lieu- 
tenant M'CIintock  and  a  party  of  twelve  men.  carefully  ex- 
plored the  coast-line  of  the  northern  and  western  coast  of 
Boothia  Peninsula. 

"The  examination  of  the  coast,"  writ(>s  Captain  Hoss. 
"was  pursued  until  the  fiftli  of  June,  when,  having  consumed 


Slli    JAMi:S    CLAItK    BOSS 


101 


morr  than  half  our  provisions,  and  tho  strcnyith  of  tlic  party 
U'WA  inucli  rcdufcd,  I  was  reluctantly  conipcllcd  to  abandon 
further  operations,  as  it  was,  moreover,  necessary  to  Rive 
the  men  a  day  of  r(>st.  liut  that  the  time  mi^ht  not  bo 
wholly  lost,  I  proceeded  with  two  hands  to  the  extreme 
south  point  in  sip;ht  from  our  encampment,  distant  about 
eit!;ht  or  nine  mih's." 

During  the  absence  of  Captain  Ross,  other  parties  had 
explored  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Hind,  and  another  aU)ns  the 
western  shor(>.  This  last  l)arty  under  lieut.-nant  Robinson 
reached  as  far  as  Cresswell  Ray,  a  few  mil(>s  to  the  south- 
ward of  Fury  Beach.  He  found  the  house  in  which  Sn- 
John  Ross  had  wintered  in  1832-1833,  with  a  quantity  of 
i^tores  and  provisions  of  the  Fury,  that  had  been  there  since 
1827,  and  were  in  excellent  state  of  pres(Tvation. 

Pn^parations  were  now  mad(>   for  leavinj-;   Port    Leoi^ld, 
Captain  Ross's  object  beinj?  to  examine  Wellington  Channel 
and,  if  fi'asible,  to  penetrate  as  far  as  Melville  Island.     To 
this  end  it  was  necessary  to  set  to  work  with  ice-saws  and 
cut  a  channel  of  over  two  miles  that  the  ships  mif^ht  be  freed. 
This  t(>dious  work  was  accomplished  by  the  last  of  Auf^ust, 
})ut  before  leaving,  a  shelter  was  built  on  land,  twelve  month:;' 
provisions,  a  st(>am-launch,  belonging  to  the  Investigator,  and 
such  otluT  stores  beiuK  l(>ft  behind  as  woulil  be  found  wel- 
come to  Sir  John  Franklin's  party  should  th(>y  reach  that 
spot.     Hardlv  had  th(>  ships  got  under  way  when  a  strons 
wind  brou52;ht'  the  ice  (h)wn  on  them,  and  they  were  soon  beset. 
For  some  davs  it  seemed  as  if  the  ships  W(>re  haril  fast  for 
a  (hrarv  wint(>r,  but  the  wind  shift(>d  to  th(>  westward,  the 
whol(>  l")odv  of  ice  Ix-inu;  driven  to  the  eastward,  and  in  the 
centre  of  a  field  of  ice  m-re  than  fifty  miles  in  circmnf<>rence, 
the  ships  were  carried  along  the  southern  shor(>  of  Lancaster 
Sound,     .\fter  passing  its  entrance,   they  drifted  along  the 
W(>st(>rn  shore  of  RanTm  Bay  until  abreast  of  Pond  Bay,  when, 


loj 


riiE  (;ri:at  wiiitk  yonrii 


I  I' 


I 

r  I 


with  a  suddcmicss  that  was  all  l)ut  iiiiraciilous,  the  field  broke 
into  iiiiiuiiicral.lc  t'ra,ii;iu('iits,  and  the  sliips  v.(  iv  ficcd. 

"At  once  all  sail  was  set,  warps  were  run  out  from  ail 
(piartcrs,  to  assist  the  shii)  through  the  heavy  Hoes,  and  at 
last  the  Itircstlt/dtor  and  Knl<rj)ris(  found  themselves  in  open 
water." 

"It  is  inii)ossil)le."  writes  Ross,  "to  convey  any  idea  of 
the  sensation  we  experienced  when  we  found  ourselves  once 
more  at  liherty  ;  many  a  heart  i)oured  forth  its  praises  and 
thanks^ivint^s  to  Alnii-ihty  Cod  for  this  unlooked-for  deliv- 
erance. 

"The  advance  of  winter  had  nov.-  closed  all  the  harhour.s 
aiiainst  us;  and  as  it  was  impo.ssihle  to  penetrate  to  the 
wot  ward  through  the  ))ack  from  which  we  had  just  been 
liberati'd,  I  made  the  signal  to  the  Inrc^tintitor  of  my  inten- 
tion  to   return   to   lOn^land." 

Thus  the  thre(>  expeditions  so  far  sent  out  had  not  met 
with  succes>,  and  the  anxiety  in  l':ni;land  over  the  fate  of 
the  Enhii>^  and  Tirmr  was  increasino'.  In  Murch,  ISIS,  the 
-Admiralty  olfered  the  sum  of  one  hundred  <iuineas  or  mt)re 
to  tite  crews  of  any  whalinj;-  ships  that  stiould  brin<>  accurate 
tidings  of  the  missinn  ships  arid  of  iM-anklin. 

In  March.  ISJ'I,  the  Hritish  ■iovernment  olfered  another 
reward  of  twenty  thousand  pounds  "to  such  private  shij), 
or  by  distribution  :unon^-  such  private  ships,  or  to  any  <>x- 
l)lonnj>:  iKirty  or  parties,  of  any  country,  as  miuht,  in  the 
judsimcnt  of  the  Hoard  of  Admiralty,  have  rendere.l  ethcient 
a>si>t:uice  to  Sir  John  Franklin,  his  ships,  or  tlieir  en>ws,  and 
mi.iiht  have  contriliuted  directly  to  extricate  them  from  the  ice." 

Lady  Franklin,  whose  devotion  and  courage  had  won  the 
admiration  of  tlie  world,  offered  two  thousand  pounds  and 
thn'c  thousand  pounds  to  oflicers  and  crew  of  .my  s!iip  that 
should  render  assistance  to  her  husband  and,  if  necessary,' 
l)rinii-  Sir  .\o\\n  Franklin  and  the  party  back  to  Fiijvland. 


k 


THE    LADY    FRANKLIN    EXPEDITION 


103 


In  the  spring;  of  1.S49,  she  sent  out  [irovi^ions  and  coal  for 
the  use  of  the  nussinp;  ships,  and  thcsf  were  earned  in  tlic 
\vhalin,ii-  ship  Trudoir,  in  eharp-  of  Mr.  I'arker.  and  were 
landed  at  Cape  Hay  on  tlie  south  side  of  Lancaster  Soiintl. 

In    lS4i),   Dr.   (loodsir,   whose   brother   had    sailed   in    the 
Eirhiis  us  assistant  surj^eon,  went  north  on  the  whaling  ship 
Adria,  under  Captain   Penny,  and  i)enetrate(l   to  Lancaster 
Sound,    l)Ut    was     (h'harred     from    entering    Prince    He«;ent 
Inlet  by  tiie  ice.     The  Atlricc  closely  skirted  the  shores,  and 
deposited  provisions,  hut  found  no  traces  of  the  niissiny;  shii)s, 
and  returned  to  Knj;;land.     In  the  ineantiine,  the  EnUrprise 
and  Iinrstigat(ii\  the  fi;allant  ships  of  the  third  fiovermnent 
exiiedition    previously    described,    were    beinji;    refitted    and 
provisioned  for  the  puri)ose  of  jioiiiK  l)y  way  of  St)Uth  America 
to  Behrinjj  Strait.     Sailing  from  Plymouth  Sound  Jamiary  20, 
18.')(),  the  luitrr/n-isc  under  the  connnand  of  Captain  Richard 
CoUinson,  and  the  Inirsti<i(tti>r  vmder  (\immander   Al'Clure, 
matlc  a  comparatively  fast  run  to  the  Pacific.     By  the  n\id<llc 
of  August  the  Enterprise  fell  in  with  the  ice.     At  Cirantly 
Harbor,   communication  with,   the  Plorcr  and  Herald  d(>t(>r- 
mined    Cajitain  CoUinson    to  proceed    to    Hongkong,   there 
to  replenish  his  stores  and  not  attempt  to  penetrate  the  ice 
until  the  following  A])ril. 

In  the  meantime  the  Xorth  Star  with  h(>r  provisions  and 
despatches  had  <pent  the  winter  in  North  ^tar  Bay,  in  Wol- 
stenholm(>  Somid,  70°  '.V.V  north  latitude  and  08°  TiO'  west 
longitu(h'.  Not  imtil  August,  ISoO,  did  she  get  free  of  her 
retreat,  and  som(>  days  later  in  Lancaster  Soimd  she  si)ok(> 
the  Ladij  Franklin  and  Sophia  nndvv  the  connnand  of  Mr. 
Penny.  These  ships  had  be(>n  e(iuii)iM'(l  mainly  at  the  ex- 
]iense  of  Lady  Franklin  :  had  sailed  <'arly  in  the  si)ring  and, 
though  independent  of  tlH>  government  exi)e(Hti(ms.  were 
to  coojx'rate  with  tluin  as  circumstances  demandi^il.  Later 
the  North  Star  fell  in  with  the  Fcli.v,  a  schooner-rigged  v(  ssel 


1<»4 


THE  CHEAT    WHITE  NOIlTII 


of  one  lumdnMl  iukI  twenty  tons,  jirovisioncd  for  ciuilitccn 
niontlis  ami  under  tluit  veteran  sea  captain  and  explorer, 
Sir  John  Ross.  The  Fdix  had  been  e(niipped  hy  j)ul)lic 
sul)serii)tion  and  sent  out  for  the  purpose  of  searching  the 
west  side  of  the  entrance  of  Wellinj^ton  Channel  fnjin  ("ape 
Hotluun  to  Banks  Land. 

The  Sorth  SUir  dej)osited  a  fjuantity  of  ])rovisions  at  a 
point  the  commander  named  Navy  Board  Inlet,  on  the 
mainland  behind  Wollaston  Island,  and  erected  a  cairn  antl 
flagstaff,  havinj;;  first  made  an  unsuccessful  attemjjt  to  reach 
Port  Bowen  and  Port  X(>ale.  In  Possession  Bay  she  spoke 
the  Prince  Alhvrl,  that  >j;ylhmt  little  craft,  eiiuipped  in  j^reater 
part  by  the  dcvote(l  Lady  Franklin,  who  had  raised  the  nec- 
essary funds  by  selling  out  all  jx-rsonal  securities  which  sho 
could  legally  touch.  Commander  Charh's  C.  Forsyth  and 
Mr.  W.  P.  Slow  had  volunteered  their  services  without 
compensation,  and  tli(>  object  of  this  exi)i'diti(jn  was  to  exam- 
ine the  shores  of  Prince  Regent  Inlet  and  the  C.ulf  of  Boothia 
and  send  out  travelling  parties  to  examine  th(>  west  si(h'  of 
Boothia  down  to  Dea.s(>  and  Simpson  straits. 

Shortly  after  this,  \\w  North  ,S7(;/' turned  homeward,  reaching 
Spithead,  England,  September  28,  ISoO. 

The  British  governm(>nt  had  by  now  outfitt(>d  two  .strong 
teak-built  ships,  the  Resolute  and  the  Assistoiice,  and  two 
steam  vessels,  the  Pioneer  and  Intrepid.  The  object  of  this 
expedition  was  to  renew  the  search  by  way  of  Baflin  Bay  and 
Lancaster  Sound.  Cai)tain  H.  T.  Austin  commanded  the 
Hesitlnte,  Cai)tain  Onnnaney  the  Assistance,  LicMitenant 
Sherard  ()sl)orn  the  Pioneer,  and  Lieutenant  Commander 
Cator  the  Intrepid.  Of  what  they  accomplished,  we  shall 
speak  later. 

.\s  early  as  April  4,  ISH).  Lady  Franklin  had  made  a  heart- 
rending ai)peal  to  the  President  of  the  I'nited  States,  in  which 
she   called   on   the  American  nation,  as  a   "kindred  people, 


m. 


FlIiST  (;i!I.\m:ll    kxpkuitios 


lO." 


1()  jniii  lictirt  and  liaiid  in  tlic  enterprise  of  snatehinjj;  the  lost 
navigators  from  a  dreary  grave."  Such  an  elofiuent  appeal 
could  not  help  hut  rouse  the  country  to  the  stronj5(>st  feeling 
of  sympathy  and  interest.  But  the  jirolonged  delays  inciilent 
to  our  national  legislation  tlireat(Mied  to  def(>at  her  request, 
until  a  generous  philanthropist,  Mr.  Henry  (Jrinnell,  a  New 
York  merchant  of  great  wealth,  stepped  forward  with  the 
munificent  olTer  of  two  well-equipped  \essels,  the  Advance 
of  one  hundred  and  forty  tons,  and  the  Rescue  of  ninety  tons, 
which  he  placed  at  the  disposition  of  tlie  government.  Con- 
gress accejited  this  generous  gift,  and  the  ships  were  placed 
under  the  direction  of  the  Navy  Board.  The  command  was 
given  to  Li(  utenant  E.  De  Haven,  a  most  zealous  and  able 
naval  officer;  Mr.  Murdock  was  sailing  master,  \vith  Dr. 
E.  K.  Kane,  that  n>markal)le  man  "weak  in  l)ody  hut  great 
in  mind,"  whose  succeeding  journeys  contributed  so  much 
to  .solving  the  mystery  surrounding  the  fat(^  of  the  lost  ships. 

The  Grinnell  expedition  left  New  York  on  May  23,  1850, 
and  was  absent  a))out  sixteen  months. 

It  will  thus  l)e  seen  that  the  Arctic  seas  had  never  been  so 
replete  with  expeditions,  whose  heroic  object  was  the  search 
for  missing  comrades  ;  and  the  year  1850-1851  was  one  of 
unparalleled  adventure,  exploration,  and  discovery,  but 
alas  !  only  the  most  meagre  traces  of  the  brave  mariners 
were  found,  whose  deplorable  fate  stirred  the  sympathy  of  the 
civilized  world. 

The  unfavourable  comUtions  of  the  "middle  ice"  in  Baffin 
Bay  and  the  Melville  Bay  barrier  caused  the  searching  expe- 
ditions great  difficulties  and  discouraging  delays.  So  strenu- 
ous w(>re  the  conditions  at  tunes  that  the  officers  and  crews 
of  the  smaller  vess(>ls  made  every  preparation  to  leave  the 
ships  at  a  moment's  notice,  should  th(^se  vessels  be  crushed  in 
the  ice.  By  boring,  tracking,  and  cutting,  and  by  one  ship 
towing  the  other  through  loose  ice  as  the  occasion  demanded, 


lot; 


THE  UllEAT    WniTE  yORTlI 


^ 


slow  hut  st(>M(ly  ivdvuiicc  was  made  to  the  desired  latitudes. 
Most  interesting  are  the  experienci's  of  the  little  I'riticc 
AUkiI,  l^ady  Franklin's  ship. 

In  de>crii)inn-  a  darin;r  attack  of  this  little  craft  upon  ice- 
Hoes,  Mr.  Snow  writes  most  j;raphically  :  — 

"It  was  determined  hy  Captain  Forsyth  Ixjldly  to  try  and 
break  thi'oujili  tlie  impediment,  by  forcing  the  shij)  under  a 
press  of  can\as.  Accordiniily,  all  sail  was  set  and  the  ship 
was  steerinj;-  direct  for  the  narrowest  and  most  broken  part 
of  the  neck.  As  this  was  the  first  and  only  time  the  Prince 
Albert  was  made  to  come  direct  ujjon  the  ice  to  break  it  with 
the  force  she  would  derive  from  a  press  of  sail,  wo  were  all 
anxious  to  see  how  she  would  stand  it  ;  and  ri^iht  well  did  she 
bear  the  test.  The  two  mates  were  aloft  in  the  'crow's 
nest'  to  cnn  the  vessel  ;  I  was  standinji  on  the  extreme  point 
of  her  bow  and  holdinjj;  on  by  the  fore-stay  to  direct  her 
movement  wlien  immediately  upon  the  ice;  and  Captain 
F'orsyth  was  by  the  side  of  the  helmsman.  Every  man  was 
at  some  particular  station,  and  ready  to  perform  anything 
that  was  instantly  r(>(iuired  of  him.  Cook  and  steward  were 
also  on  (h'ck  ;  and  throu<;hout  the  ship  an  almost  breathless 
anxiety  i)revailed  ;  for,  it  must  be  remembered,  it  was  not  a 
larjie  and  powerful  ship,  but  a  small,  and  comparativ(>ly 
frau;ile  one,  that  was  now  about  to  try  of  her  own  accord, 
and  with  lier  own  strength,  to  l)reak  a  piece  of  ice  some  feet 
thick,  though  not  very  broad.  On  either  side  of  her  were 
heavy  floes  and  sconce  ])ieces  ;  and  it  required  the  greatest 
nicety  in  guiding  her.  that  she  might,  in  her  strongest  part, 
the  bow,  hit  the  precise  s])ot  where  the  neck  was  weakest, 
and  not  come  upon  any  other  i)art  where  she  could  do  nothing 
but  severely  injure  h(M'self. 

"( )n  she  came,  at  a  rate  of  full  five  miles  per  hour  ;  gaining, 
as  she  proceeded,  increased  impetus,  mitil  she  rushed  towards 
it  with  a  speed  of  at  least  eight  miles  in  the  hour.     The  dis- 


rUK    LAJ>y    FIlAyKLLV    EXPEimiOX 


inl 


taiicc  from  thr  neck  \va.s  about  a  mile,  and  the  breeze  blew 
.steadily  uptjii  it.  The  weakest  and  narnnve.^t  part  was  that 
(•l(jse  to  the  sturboaril  lloi',  uml  to  tlial  our  eyes  were  all 
directed. 

"Tort!  starl)oard!  So  —  O  —  steady!'  was  every  now 
and  then  ])awled  out  with  stent(jrian  lunj^s  fr<;in  aloft,  and  as 
ener<i;etieally  and  pronijjtly  repeate*!,  by  th(>  eai)tain  below, 
to  the  man  at  the  wheel.  Presently  she  eanie  close  to  --  she 
was  almost  >ipon  it  — a  mistaken  hail  from  aloft  would  have 
put  her  helm  a-pDrt,  and  sent  her  cru.'<hinfi  upon  the  heavy 
floe.  I  heard  the  order  'd-jxirt,'  and,  before  it  had  been  re- 
peated, shouted  loudly,  with  the  men  around  me,  who  al.so 
saw  the  mistake,  'starboanl!  starboard!  hard  a-starhoard !' 
and  in  the  next  instant,  with  a  tremendous  blow,  that  for  the 
moment  made  her  rebound  and  tremble,  she  .struck  the  ice 
in  the  exact  ixjint,  and  caused  it  to  rend  ajjart  in  s(>veral 
fragments.  Ice  poles  and  boat  hooks  were  inunediat(>ly 
in  retiuest  ;  and  my.self  and  half  a  dozen  men  si)ran<;  instantly 
over  the  bows,  working  with  hands  and  feet  and  with  all  our 
mijiht  in  removinj^  the  broken  i)ieces  by  pushin<!;  them  ahead 
of  the  ves.sel  ;  in  which  labour,  she,  herself,  mat(>rially  aided 
us  by  her  own  power  pressinjf  u))on  them.  In  a  moment  or 
two  it  was  effected,  and  throwing  ounsolvcs  aboard  agiiin 
like  so  manj'  wild  cats,  w(>  prepared  for  the  next  encounter. 

"  This,  however,  jiroved  notliin}^  lik(>  the  other.  The  first 
blow  sent  the  whole  of  it  flyin;:;  in  all  directions,  and  th(>  little 
Prince,  as  if  in  hauji'hty  disdain,  pa.ssed  through  without  once 
stojipint!;,  pushing  aside  the  ])ieces,  as  they  came  against  her. 
In  another  mom(>nt  or  two  we  were  in  a  larf^er  sheet  of  water, 
thouM;h  to  our  disap])ointment  blocked  up  at  the  extreme  end 
by  small  l)erj]i;s  and  hu}i;e  hununocks,  which  latter  had,  ap- 
parently, b(>en  thus  thrown  up  in  consequence  of  some  late 
severe  sfpieeze  there.  We  were,  therefore,  aa;ain  obliged  to 
make  fast." 


lOS 


THE  (lUKAT    WlllTl-:  .SOUTH 


Thursday,  AukusI  1.'),  ^fr.  Snow  makes  tlic  entry,  "We 
were,  now,  lairly  in  wliat  i>  calletl  hy  Aretic  seamen,  llie 
'North  Water,"  and  all  seemed  clear  het'ore  us." 

By  the  21st  the  httle  rrlita  Alhni  fouiul  herseh'  ofT  Port 
Leopold.  Here  a  party  made  a  difficult  landin;;  in  a  j;u(la- 
])erclia  hoat  and  found  the  house  constructed  iiy  Sir  .himes 
('.  Koss,  somewhat  rent  by  the  winter  storms,  Imt  the  pro- 
visions were  in  excellent  condition  and  the  little  steam-launch 
ready  to  carry  any  shipwrecked  crew  to  safety. 

The  J'n'tnr  Albert  now  made  for  Prince  Hejjent  Inlet, 
and  soon  after  stcjod  ol'f  Fury  Beach.  I'rom  tiiis  point  the 
outlo<  k  was  discourajiiinjj;,  as  an  expanse  of  hummocky  ic(> 
witlioit  the  slightest  sij^n  of  an  openinji;  extended  as  far  u.s 
the  eye  could  reach. 

It  was  now  found  necessary  to  abandon  the  main  object, 
of  the  e.xjM'dition;  that  is,  the  examinaiion  of  the  shon's  of 
Boothia,  and  the  ship  turned  with  the  i)uri)ose  of  closely 
scanninji  the  shores  and  headlands  at  the  throat  of  Barrow 
Strait  and  a  short  distance  up  Wellington  Channel.  In  Bar- 
row Strait,  they  spoke  the  American  brij;  Adriiiicr;  by  the 
21th  they  neared  Cape  Hind.  On  this  day  they  saw  the 
Lmhj  FraiiLli)!  and  Sophia,  and  later  ob.served  three  more 
shii)s  in  Wellin;!;ton  Channel. 

The  next  day,  while  ofY  Cape  Si)encer,  tlie  ofTicers  ^f  the 
Prince  Albert  saw  that  to  push  further  into  the  ice-])ack 
through  the  few  lanes  still  open  mi.uht  mean,  in  case  of  a 
sudden  nip,  l)ein<>;  shut  up  for  the  winter,  .so  it  was  reluctantly 
decided  to  make  for  home. 

Leavinji;  behind  them  that  noble  fleet  of  searching  vessels, 
inchuhnj;-  the  Assistance,  the  Laihj  Franldin,  the  .So/;/(m,  the 
Rescue,  and.  thouiih  not  visible,  the  Advance  and  Intrepid, 
ttie  Prince  Albert  turned  her  bow  homeward.  At  Cape  Bilcy 
tli<'  officers  noticed  a  signal-post  and  inunediately  sent  a  l>oat 
ashore  to  discover  what  it  meant. 


CA  VTA L\    OMMA  .V  K Y 


109 


"As  the  IxKit  touched  the  .sh(>lvinK  rocks,"  writes  Mr. 
Snow,  "I  hastily  spriiuK  <'"t  into  the  water,  leaving  tiie  men 
to  secure  her  ;  and  ran  to  the  signal-post  al)()Ut  fifty  yards  oiT. 
I  was  there  in  a  moment,  with  Clrate  cU)se  at  my  heels.  A 
few  paces  otT  I  ohserved  anotlier  and  a  rou^;her  post  erected, 
hut  this  one  had  a  small  flay;  Hyin}f,  and  was  evidently  the 
principal.  I  really  ciuniot  tell  whether  the  cylinder  handed 
to  me  in  the  course  of  a  second  or  two  had  heen  buried  or 
merely  tied  to  the  post,  .so  intent  was  I  upon  conjecturinfi 
what  news  I  should  receive.  My  hands  trembled  with  eager- 
ness, and  I  could  hardly  read  the  pajwr.     It  was  as  follows  :  — 

'"Her  Majesty's  Arctic  Searching  Expedition. 

'"This  is  to  certify  that  Captain  Onunaney,  with  the 
officers  of  her  Majesty's  ships  Axxidnnce  and  Ititirpid,  landed 
at  Cape  Riley  on  the  2;kl  of  August,  ISoO,  where  he  found 
traces  of  an  encampment,  and  colhn'ted  the  remains  of  mate- 
rials which  evidently  prove  that  som(^  pJirty  belonging  to  her 
Majesty's  ships  have  been  detained  on  this  si)ot.  Reechey 
Island  was  al.so  examined,  where  traces  were  found  of  the 
same  party. 

'"This  is  also  to  give  notice  that  a  supply  of  provisions  and 
fuel  is  at  Port  Leopold.  Her  Majesty's  shijis.  Assistance 
and  Intrepid,  were  detached  from  the  .sfjuadron  under  Captain 
Austin,  ofi"  Wolstenholme,  on  the  loth  inst.,  since  when  they 
ha\e  examined  the  north  shores  of  Lancaster  Sound  and 
Rarrow  Strait,  without  meeting  any  other  traces.  Caiitain 
Ommanney  proceeds  to  Cape  Hotham  and  Cape  Walker  in 
search  for  further  traces  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  expedition. 

"'Dated  on  board  her  Majesty's  ship  Assistance,  off  Cape 
Riley,  August  23,  1850. 

"'Erasmus  Ommaney.'  " 


".\fter  t!ie  other  signal-post  luul  Ix.m'u  examined."  continues 
Mr.  Snow,  "  I  made  a  careful  observation  of  ev(Tything  around 


110 


Tin:  GUKAT    nniTK  .SOUTH 


I 


U 


i       i 


nw,  and  coiiuiiciicol  us  cIom'  u  iinc-tiL  ;iti<tn  ;is  the  liiirrird 
nature  <»f  m>  vi>it,  acconlidi;  tn  my  nnlris,  pcnuittcil  inr. 
Tin-  iiH'ii  liud  al>(»,  |)rcvi(iii-l\  lo  iii\  tclliim  iIm'ih  and  with 
an  al.'K'fily  tliat  did  thcni  rndii  r,i|iinn'nci(l  ;i  mt».-st  !iryin<^ 
search.  •  >ne  in  a  .-hort  tinir  hinu^hl  ni*'  almui  im  inci.  and  a 
half  s(|uaic  )iiccc  ot'  caiivas  \\i  .1  Mi'ai  IhiI  :  anotiii-r,  the 
seeond  mate,  ninic  tui't  inialc,  (iisi-uvercil  a  |i|ici'  mI  iotm',  ;i.s 
I  >ui)|)()>ed  I  ratlin,  and  \\in(li  ua~  IduikI  in  contani  thf 
("hathain  Ddck-yard  Navy  mark;'  a  liiiid  tmnid  a  piece  of 
bone,  with  two  hulc^  horea  in  ii.  I5c(l'  hones,  and  othef 
umnistakahle  maiks  of  the  pia  ■  iiavinu;  l.'ccn  used  witiiin 
some  very  few  years  by  a  party  ■■!  IJin  peans,  for  sonic  pur- 
pose or  other,  were  discovered.  Tii'  jrround  jirescntetl  very 
nnicii  the  appearance  of  having  leen  turned  into  an  encamp- 
ment, for  certain  stones  were  sn  placcil  a>  to  lead  to  the  in- 
ference that  tents  had  ln-en  erccteil  within  some  of  their 
enclosures,  and  in  otiiers  a  lire  mijiht  liave  Ijeen  made,  but  no 
marks  of  fire  were  visil)le. 

"  Four  of  these  circular  parcels  of  >toncs  I  counted,  and  ob- 
served another  which  mijilit  or  miy:ht  not  have  lieen  a  fifth." 

Continuinsi  her  homeward  voyaj^e  with  her  precious  relics, 
the  Prince  AUnti  reached  Aberdeen,  Octolicr  1.  The  .Admi- 
ralty identifie(l  the  liit  of  rope  as  bcinji  navy-yard  manufacture 
of  not  later  than  ISIl.  The  canvas  was  al>o  l)elieve(l  to  be 
of  British  manufacture.  The  meat  bones  seemed  to  bear 
exactly  the  marks  of  the  shiji's  provisions  used  about  fivR 
years  back,  and  the  idics  were  identified  as  belonjiiii;^  to  the 
ill-fated  Er<hit.:  and   Trrmr. 

As  soon  as  it  wa-  known  among  the  other  searching  parties 
that  ("aptaiii  ( )mmanev  had  found  traces  of  the  missing 
expedition,  Ross.  Austin,  I'enny.  and  I)e  Haven  Ix'tian  a 
minute  inv(>stii:ation  of  the  surrounding  locality  and  ])roved 
that    (';i])e   Spciicer   and    Heechev    Island    .*it   the   ctitf;nicc   of 

'  X'avy  roiif's  h;iv«^  cprtain  thri-ads  of  rcil  or  yellow,  etc.,  laid  in 
along  with  the  yarns. 


Henrv  (Ihi.wkll 


fl 


[I' 


n  1 

I    i       < 


LIEUTENANT    OSBOltN 


111 


Wcllinfitoii  ( "lianncl  had  l)0(>n  without  doubt  tho  site  of 
FrankHn's  first  winter  (juartcrs.  At  Cape  Spencer,  some 
ten  miles  above  ('a])e  Kiley,  a  ground  i)lace  for  a  tent  was 
found,  the  flocjr  i)aved  with  small  stones.  About  tlie  tent 
birds'  ])ones  and  meat  canisters  were  found.  Numerous 
sle(lfi(>  tracks  alonjt  the  shore  were  also  noticed. 

Of  the  examination  of  Heechey  Island,  Lieutenant  ()sl)orn 
writes :  — 

"A  Ions  point  of  land  sIojm's  fj;ra(lually  from  the  southern 
bluffs  of  this  now  deeply  interesting;  island,  until  it  almost 
connects  itself  with  the  land  of  North  Devon,  forminp;  on 
either  side  of  it  two  good  and  commodious  bays.  On  this 
slope  a  multitude  of  ])reserved-meat  tins  were  strewed  about  ; 
and  near  them,  and  on  the  ridp;e  of  the  slop<',  a  car(>fully 
constructed  cairn  was  discovennl  ;  it  consisted  (if  layers  of 
fitte(l  tins,  filled  with  j!;ravel,  and  ])laced  to  form  a  firm  and 
solid  foundation.  Beyond  this,  and  along  the  northern  shore 
of  IJeechey  Island,  the  following  traces  were  then  (luickly 
discovered  :  the  embankment  of  a  house,  with  carpenters' 
ai  il  armoriM's'  working  ])laces,  washing  tubs,  coal-bags, 
pi(>ces  of  old  clothing,  roii<\  and,  lastly,  th(>  graves  of  three  of 
the  crew  of  the  Ercbuf!  and  Terror,  bearing  date  of  the  winter 
of  IHlo-lSK).  We,  therefore,  now  had  ascertained  the  first 
winter-ijuarters  of  Sir  John  Franklin. 

"On  the  eastern  slope  of  the;  ridge  of  Beechey  Island,  a  rem- 
nant of  a  garden  (for  renmant  it  now  only  was,  having  been 
dug  up  in  the  search)  told  an  interesting  tale;  its  neatly- 
shaped,  oval  outline,  the  border  carefully  formed  of  moss 
lichen,  i)oppies,  and  anemones,  transplanted  from  some  more 
genial  i)art  of  this  dreary  region,  —  contrived  still  to  show 
symi)toms  of  vitality  ;  but  the  seeds  which,  doubtless,  they 
had  sowed  in  the  garden  had  decayed  away. 

"Nearer  to  th(>  beach,  a  heap  of  cinders  and  scrajis  of  iron 
showed  tho  armorer's  working-pl.-ice  ;  and,  along  an  old  wat<T- 


t 


U-2 


THE  a  It  EAT   WHITE  NOnTTT 


till 


,1 


course,  now  ('luiincd  uj)  hy  frost,  several  tubs,  constructed  of 
tlie  ends  of  suit -meat  casks,  left  no  douht  as  to  the  washinjj;- 
j)laces  of  the  men  of  Franklin's  scpiadron.  Hajjpeninfi  to 
cross  a  level  piece  of  j>;round,  which  as  yet  no  one  had  lij^hted 
ul)oii,  I  was  pleased  to  see  a  pair  of  eashm(>re  <>;l()ves  laid  out 
to  dry,  with  two  small  stones  «)n  the  ])alms  to  prevent  their 
hlowinji;  away  ;  they  had  been  there  since  184(5.  I  took 
them  up  carefully,  as  melancholy  nicnientoes  of  my  missinji; 
friends.  In  another  s])ot  a  flannel  was  discovered  ;  and  this, 
toffether  with  some  things  lying  about,  would,  in  my  ignorance 
of  wintering  in  the  Arctic  regions,  have  led  ?ne  to  suppose  that 
there  was  considerable  haste  (lisi)lay(>d  in  the  dc^parture  of 
the  Erebus  and  Terror  from  the  sjiot,  had  not  Captain  Austin 
a-ssured  me  that  there  was  nothing  to  ground  such  a  belief 
upon,  and  that,  from  experience,  he  could  vouch  for  these 
being  nothing  more  than  the  ordinary  traces  of  a  winter  sta- 
tion ;  and  this  opinion  was  fully  borne  out  by  those  officers 
who  had,  in  the  jjrevious  year,  wintered  in  Port  LeojMjld,  one 
of  them  asserting  that  peoi)le  left  wint(>r  (juarters  too  well 
j)leased  to  escape  to  care  much  for  a  handful  of  shavings, 
an  old  coal-bag,  or  a  washing  tub." 

On  the  headstones  of  the  three  graves  resting  in  that  bleuk 
and  de-solate  shore  were  the  following  inscriptions  :  — 


Sacred 

to  the 

Memory 

of 

W.  Braine,  R.  M. 

H.  M.  S.  Krebus, 

Died  April  3rd,  1846, 

Aged  32  years. 

"Choose  ye  thi.s  day  whom  ye  will  .serve." 

Josiuia,  ch.  XXIV.  15. 


Ili 


;'i 


II 


Ki 


LIEUTENANT    OSliOltN 


11.", 


Sacred  to  the  Memory  of 

John  Hiirtwell,  A.  H.  .)t  H.  M.  S. 

Erebus, 

Ajjjed  2'.i  years. 

"Thus  saith  the  Lord,  consider  your  ways." 

Huffgai,  I.  7. 

Sacred 
to 

The  Memory 

of 

John  T()rriiij»;ton, 

Wlio  deixirtetl  this  hfe, 

January  1st,  A.D.,  1846, 

On  hoard  of 

H.  M.'s  Ship  Terror, 

Agetl  20  years. 


No  other  written  record  was  found.  The  lost  exjiedition 
had  seemingly  folded  its  tents,  in  the  mysterious  gloom  of  the 
Arctic  night,  and  silently  crept  away. 

Now,  just  as  the  searchers  had  struck  the  trail,  and  were 
hot  upon  the  scent,  the  icy  clutch  of  the  long  winter  arr(>sted 
their  entleavours,  imperiously  demanded  of  them  patience, 
courage,  endurance,  and  enforceil  uj^on  them  tiie  weariness 
of  months  of  waiting.  Thus  the  squadron  took  ui)  winter 
quarters  at  the  southern  extremity  of  ("ornwallis  Land; 
the  (h-innell  t>xpe(Ution,  following  its  instruction,  made  an 
attempt  to  return  home,  l)Ut  was  soon  shut  up  in  Wellington 
Channel,  where  the  Adrance  and  liescue  drifted  backward 
and  forward  at  the  mercy  of  the  ice.  Of  their  attempts  to 
escape  being  ice-bound  for  the  wint(T,  Dr.  Kane  draws  a 
lively  picture. 


Ill 


rilK  GREAT   WHITE  XOliTU 


1% 


I 


H 


;t 


"  Scptcmlicr  13. 

"The  iiuvif^ution  is  certainly  cxcitinj?.  I  have  never  seen 
a  <lescrii)ti(»n  in  my  Arctic  rea(lin<j;s  of  jinytiiin^  like  this. 
We  are  literally  runniii};-  for  our  lives,  surrounded  hy  the  im- 
minent hazards  of  sudden  consolidation  in  an  open  sea.  All 
minor  j)erils,  ni])s,  l)umi)s,  and  sunken  herf^s  are  discardcMl  ; 
we  are  stafinerinj;  alon«j;  under  all  sail,  forcin«2;  our  way  \vhilt> 
we  can.  OiK'  thuni]),  received  since  I  connnenced  writitifi, 
jerked  the  time-keeper  from  oiu'  Mmiacle  down  the  cahin 
liatch,  and,  l)Ut  for  our  strong;  hows,  !>r\-vn  and  a  half  solid 
feet,  would  have  stove  us  in.  Another  time,  we  cleared  a 
tonjiue  of  the  main  jack  l)y  ridiny;  it  down  at  ei<j;ht  knots." 

"^\'e  were  ohlijicd,"  he  continues,  "several  times  the  next 
day  to  hore  throuj^ii  the  youny;  ice  ;  for  the  low  temperatur(> 
contimied,  and  our  wind  lulled  under  ('aj)e  Ilotham.  The 
ni^ht  nave  us  now  three  hours  of  complete  darkn(>ss.  It  was 
danger  to  run  on,  yet  e(iually  dan<;er  to  i)aus(>.  Grim  water 
was  followinj!;  close  ujjon  our  heels;  and  even  the  ('aj)tain, 
sanguine  and  fearless  in  emerfiency  as  he  alwa^'s  proved  iiim- 
self,  as  he  saw  the  tenacious  fields  of  sludge  and  pancake 
thickening  around  us,  began  to  feel  anxious.  Mine  was  a 
jumhie  of  sensations.  I  had  been  desirous  to  the  last  degree 
that  we  might  remain  on  the  field  of  search,  and  could  hardly 
be  satisfied  at  what  iiromised  to  realize  mj'  wish.  Y(>t  I 
had  hoped  that  our  wintering  would  be  near  our  English 
friends,  that  in  case  of  trouble  or  disease  we  might  nuitually 
sustain  each  other.  But  the  interval  of  fifty  miles  between  us, 
in  these  inhospitable  deserts,  was  as  comjjlete  a  sej^aratiou 
us  an  entire  continent  ;  and  I  confess  that  I  looked  at  the  dark 
shadows  closing  aromid  liarlow  Inlet,  the  prison  from  which 
we  cut  ourselves  on  th(>  seventh,  just  six  days  before,  with 
feelings  as  sombre  as  the  landscape  itself.  The  sound  of  our 
vessel  crunching  her  way  through  the  new  ice  is  not  easy  to 
describe.     Il  Was  not  like  the  grinding  of  the  old  formed  ice, 


ALliEllT    LAM) 


11.3 


nor  was  it  tho  slusliy  scraiung  of  sludge.  We  may  all  of  us 
rciiictulMT  ill  till'  skatinj^-  frolics  of  early  days,  the  peeuliar 
revert M-ratijiK  outery  of  a  pel)l)le,  as  \v(>  tossed  it  from  us  along 
the  edges  of  an  old  mill-dam,  and  heard  it  dying  away  in  eehoes 
almost  nuisieal.  Imagine  .such  a  tone  as  this,  comhined  with 
the  whir  of  rapid  motion,  and  the  rasping  noise  of  close-grained 
sugar.  1  was  listening  to  the  .sound  in  my  little  den,  after  a 
sorrowful  day,  close  upon  zei-o,  trying  to  warm  up  my  stif- 
fened limbs.  Presently  it  grew  less,  then  luereased,  then 
sto])i)ed,  then  went  on  again,  hut  jerking  and  irregular,  and 
then  it  waned,  and  waned,  and  waned  away  to  silence. 

"Down  came  the  captain  :  'Doctor,  the  ice  ha.s  caught  us  ; 
we  are  frozen  up.'" 

In  tlescribing  the  discovery  of  new  territory,  Dr.  Kane 
says  :  — 

"On  the  22d  (September,  1850),  our  latitude  was  7.')° 
24'  21".  I  now  saw  land  to  the  north  and  west  ;  its  horizon 
that  of  rolling  ground,  without  bluffs,  terminating  at  its 
northern  end.  Still  further  on  to  the  north  came  a  strip 
without  visible  land,  and  then  land  again  with  mountain  top.s 
distant  and  'rising  above  the  clouds.'  This  last  was  the 
land  which  received  from  C  aptain  De  Haven  the  name  of 
^Ir.  C.rinnell." 

The  following  year  (1851)  this  same  land  was  seen  by 
Captain  Penny,  and  named  by  him  Albert  Land.  The 
Americans  naturally  si")iio.se(l  that  when  it  wa.s  made  known 
that  this  land  had  been  discovered  by  De  Haven  about  eight 
months  before  it  was  reached  by  Captain  Penny,  the  name 
"Albert"  would  be  dropped,  and  that  of  "Cirinnell"  substi- 
tuted. This,  however,  was  not  done.  A  strange,  and  cer- 
tainly not  very  honourable,  feeling  of  jealousy  .seems  to  have 
induced  the  Admiralty  and  (leograjjliical  Society  to  shut  their 
eyes  to  the  fact  that  the  discovery  of  the  land  was  due  to  th(> 
Americans.     This  famous  controversy  resulted  iii  bitter  con- 


id; 


THE  (UIKAT    WllITK  NotlTIl 


(l(iimutii)ii  of  the  ImikHsIi  iiuthoritics  for  injustice  and  par- 
tiality. 

Hut  to  return  to  Dr.  Kane's  journal.  On  Sej)teml)er  2;}, 
lie  i)i('tures  a  fatal  hreak-up  of  the  ice  :  — 

"IIow  shall  I  (les('ril)e  to  you  this  ])ressure,  its  fearfulness 
and  sublimity  I  Nothing  I  have  seen  or  read  of  approaches 
it.  The  voices  of  the  ice  and  the  heavy  swash  of  the  over- 
turned hununock-t allies  are  at  this  moment  diiuiins  in  my 
ears.     '.Vll  hands'  are  on  deck  fi^htiii};  our  grim  enemy. 

"  Fourteen  inches  of  solid  ice  thickness,  with  some  half  dozen 
of  snow,  an',  with  the  slow  uniform  advance  of  a  miji;hty  j)ro- 
jwllinj!;  power,  drivinji  in  ujion  our  vessel.  .\s  they  strike  her, 
the  seini-i)lastic  mass  is  impressed  with  a  mould  of  her  .side, 
and  then,  urged  on  hy  the  force  behind,  slides  upward,  and 
rises  in  great  vertical  tallies.  When  these  attain  their  utmost 
height,  still  ])ressed  on  by  others,  they  t()])ple  over,  and  form 
a  great  embankment  of  fall(Mi  tables.  .\t  the  same  time, 
others  take  a  downward  direction,  aixl  when  pushed  on,  as 
in  the  other  case,  form  a  .similar  pile  underneath.  The  .side 
on  which  one  or  th(^  other  of  these  actions  takes  place  for  the 
time  varies  with  the  direction  of  th(>  force,  and  the  strength 
of  the  op])o.site  or  resisting  side,  the  inclination  of  the  vo.s.sel, 
anfl  the  weight  of  the  superincumbent  mounds  ;  and  as  these 
conditions  follow  each  other  in  varying  succession,  the  ves.sol 
becomes  ])(>rfectly  imbechled  after  a  little  while  in  crumbling 
and  fracturecl  ice." 

"We  are  lifted  bodily  eighteen  inches  out  of  water,"  con- 
tinues Dr.  Kane.  "The  hummocks  are  reared  n\)  around  the 
ship,  so  as  to  rise  in  some  cases  a  couple  of  feet  above  our  bul- 
warks —  five  I'  'et  above  our  deck.  They  are  very  often  ten 
and  twelve  feet  high.  .Vll  hands  are  out,  laboring  with  picks 
and  crowbars  to  overturn  the  fragments  that  threaten  to 
overwhelm  us.  .\dd  to  this  darkness,  snt)W,  cold,  and  the 
al)solute  destitution  of  surroun<ling  shores." 


I)K    IIAVKS    EXI'KDirinS 


W 


"October  (>,  SuiulMy.  12  Midnight.  Tlicy  report  us 
iulrift.  Wind,  a  nale  from  the  nortliwunl  uiul  we.stwiinl. 
An  odd  cruise  this  !  The  Anjericiiu  exiM-ihtioii  fust  in  u  lump 
of  ice  ul)out  as  bin  us  VVushiiiKton  S(|uure,  and  drivinff,  Hke 
a  shanty  on  a  raft,  l)efore  a  howling  gale. 

"XovemlxT  2"). 

"Our  daylight  to-<lay  was  a  mere  name,  three  and  a  half 
hours  of  meagre  twilight.  I  was  struck  for  the  first  time  with 
the  bleached  faces  of  my  mess-mates. 

"Seventy-seven  days  more  without  a  sunrise!  twenty-six 
before  we  reach  the  solstitial  point  of  greatest  darkness  ! 

"December  22,  Sunday.  The  solstice!-  the  midnight 
of  the  year ! 

"  December  23,  Monday.  Perfect  darkness !  Drift  un- 
known. Winds  nearly  at  rest  with  the  exception  of  a  littler 
gasj)  from  the  westward. 

"December  24,  Tuesday.  'Through  utter  darkness 
borne.' 

"December  25.     'Ye  Christmas  of  ye  Arctic  cruisers  !' 

"Our  Christmas  passed  without  a  lack  of  the  good  things 
of  this  life.  'Gootlies'  we  had  galore  ;  but  that  best  of  earthly 
l)lessings,  the  communion  of  loved  sympathies,  thes(>  Arctic 
cruisers  had  not.  It  was  curious  to  observ(>  the  dei)ressing 
influences  of  each  man's  home  thoughts,  and  al)s()lutely  sad- 
dening the  effort  of  each  man  to  impose  ui)on  his  neighbor 
and  be  very  boon  and  jolly.  We  joked  incessantly,  but  badly, 
too  ;  ate  of  good  things,  and  drank  up  a  moiety  of  our  Heid- 
sieck ;  and  then  we  sang  negro  songs,  wanting  only  time, 
measure,  and  harmony,  but  abounding  in  noise  ;  and  after  a 
closing  bumper  to  Mr.  Grinnell,  adjourned  with  creditable 
jollity  from  table  to  the  theatre." 

"Never,"  writes  Dr.  Kane,  "had  I  enjoyed  the  tawdry 
quackery  of  the  stage  half  so  nmch. 

"The  'Blue  Devils'  :  God  bless  us !  but  it  was  very,  very 


lis 


nil:  <iHh:M   wiurt:  south 


*r 


Mi 


funny.  None  knew  their  i);irt-^,  ami  the  prompter  c.mld  not 
rca<l  nlilil\-  cnoiiuli  to  ijo  liis  oltice.  lOvcrytliinti,  wlirtlicr 
jocoM',  or  indignant,  or  (•oninionplacf.  or  patlictu-,  was  dcliv- 
(Tt'd  in  a  liij;ii-tra,u;<'dy  monotone  of  des))air  ;  fiv  woids  at  a 
time,  or  more  or  less,  according  to  the  faciHties  of  the  prompt- 
ing,. .Mejirim,  with  a  pair  of  seal-skin  lioots,  bestowed  his 
Hold  upon  the  jientle  .\nnette  :  and  .Vnnetle,  nearly  si.\  feet 
hiu;h,  received  it  with  mastodonie  "irace.  Annette  was  an 
Irisiiman  named  Daly,  and  1  mij-ht  defy  human  heinn  to  hear 
her,  while  balanced  on  thr  heel  of  her  i)oot,  exclaim,  in  rich 
masculine  hrofiue,  'Och,  feather,"  without  roarinjj;. 

".After  this  followed  77/c  SUir  S/xuKjldl  Hdiimr;  then  a 
comi)licated  .Marseill;iis(>  by  our  French  cook,  Heiwi  ;  then  a 
sailo.'s  hornpipe  l)y  the  diversely  talented  Uruce  ;  the  orches- 
tra- Stewart  playinu;  out  tlie  intervals  on  the  Jew'.s-harp 
from  the  top  of  a  lard-ca>k.  In  fact,  we  were  very  happy 
fellows.  W'e  had  had  a  foot  race  in  the  morning  over  the 
midnijiht  ice  for  three  purses  of  a  flannel  shirt  each,  and  a 
splicing  of  the  main  brace.  The  <hiy  was  nif;ht,  the  .stars 
shininy;  fe<bly  throu<ih  the  mist. 

"necemb(>r2S,  Saturday. 

"From  my  very  soul  do  I  rejoice  at  th(>  comins  ^un.  \\y\- 
denc(>s  not  to  be  mistaken  convince  me  that  the  health  of  our 
crew,  never  restinti  upon  a  very  sound  basis,  must  sink  under 
the  conlimied  influences  of  darkness  and  cold.  The  tempera- 
ture and  foulness  of  air  in  the  betw  'c?'  ,iev'>'  Tartarus,  camiot 
be  amended,  otherwise  it  would  be  my  duty  to  urfje  a  change. 
Betwe(-n  \\\v  smoke  of  lamps,  the  dry  h»>at  of  stoves,  and  the 
fmnis  of  th(>  {ialley,  all  of  them  unintermittin<i,  what  wonder 
that  we  <>Tow  feebl(>.  The  short  race  of  Christmas  Day 
knocked  up  all  our  officers  cxcejjt  ririlTen.  It  pained  me  to 
.see  my  friend  Lovell.  our  strona;est  man.  fainting  with  th(> 
exertion.  The  symptoms  of  scurvy  amoiis  the  crew  are  still 
increasinji,  an<l  more  <;(  iieral.     Faces  are  growing  pale  ;   and 


/>/•;    llAVhW    KXr  EDIT  ION 


119 


ivii  irulolcncc  uUiii  to  apathy  seems  to  l)e  creepiiiu  over  us. 
'  loum  for  the  lislit.  Dear,  dear  >iiii,  no  wonder  you  are 
\v<»rslii|)i)e(l  !" 

It  may  l)e  imafiined  with  what  rejoicings  they  welcomed 
the  nlowiiiK  disk  when  on  February  IS  they  hist  Iteheiil  it. 
Tliree  cheers  went  up,  and  Kane  himself  fired  a  sahite. 
Though  tli<'  dawn  increased,  the  cold  twihf^ht  >till  continued, 
anil  the  peril>  of  their  situation  were  ever  present.  .Many 
tin.es  the  conditions  of  the  ice  threatened  their  ties! ruction, 
i)Ut  not  until  June  o  did  its  app;i!linjj  disruption  free  (hem. 
In  twenty  minutes  tlje  ice,  tis  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was 
a  vast  field  of  moving;  Hoes.  Five  days  later  they  emerjied 
info  the  open  water  and  made  for  (lodhaven  on  the  coa.st  of 
(Ireenland. 

Here  they  umU'rwent  repairs,  and,  undaunted  by  tlie  recent 
perils,  again  turned  their  prows  to  the  north.  Skirting  the 
coast  of  (ireenlanil  as  far  as  the  T.'id  degree,  they  sailed  to  the 
westward  and  spoke  an  Knglish  whaling  ship  near  the  Dutch 
Islan<l  about  the  7tli  and  <Sth  of  July.  Hy  the  11th  they  were 
pushing  their  way  through  tlie  iccumulations  of  ice  in  Baffin 
Hay,  and  here  the  gallant  little  t'rincc  Alhrit,  on  her  way  l)ack 
to  join  the  searching  s(iuadron.  continued  in  their  company 
until  the  ;^d  of  .August,  wl  ii  .slu>  hove  otT  to  the  westward 
to  try  a  more  soutliern  |)assage. 

Pusl'ing  bravely  against  the  od<ls  of  impenetrable  ico 
barriers  ;  blocked  at  every  mano'uvre  to  force  a  passage  ; 
nine  more  months  of  winter  threatening  the  enfeebled  crew; 
the  brave  De  Haven  dotermijiod  to  give  up  the  unetjual  battle, 
and  Dr.  K:in(>  makes  this  entry  :  — 

".\ugust  li),  Tuesday: 

"  Rc-^nic  is  close  astern  of  us  ;  she  got  through  about  noon 
yesterday.  Our  commodore  has  resolved  on  an  immediate 
return  to  the  United  States." 


CIIAPTER   VIII 


|l 


M 


S<'ar('li  for  Sir  John  I'raiikliii  nuilinuiil.  Sledge  journoy  of  Cnptain 
Austin's  >(|iia(lroM.  IJctiirn  of  I'linci  Alhat  uiuler  coininand  of 
Captain  Kcniudv .    -  liellot. 

TiiK  Hritisli  scareliiiiK  scjiuulron,  includiiiK  the  lie.soliitc, 
the  Assisltnirr,  the  I'iontcr,  and  the  Intnpid,  wliilc  wiiitcriiiK 
ill  the  vicinity  of  ("ornwallis  Island  and  ( Iriffitli  Islainl,  had 
Iicld  fr('(|\icnt  conununication  and  jilainied  for  exploration 
journeys  on  sledges  to  Ite  undertaken  as  early  as  |M)ssil)le  the 
following  spriii};;.  Hefore  the  winter  became  too  severe, 
depots  of  provisions  were  estal)lish(>d  to  he  used  hy  the  sledp- 
injj;  parties,  and  the  men  trained  in  sledf^e  dra^KinK  and  walk- 
ins  exercises  that  tliey  mi>j;ht  he  in  ^ood  jjliysieal  condition 
when  the  time  for  a  test  of  endurance  should  arrive.  I'nih'r 
the  direction  of  ("ajitain  Austin,  detailed  plans  were  formed 
for  careful  exploration  of  islands  and  laiuls  alons  Parry 
Strait.  To  Captain  Penny  was  entrusted  the  thorough 
search  of  Wellington  Chaimel. 

As  early  as  the  12th  of  Ajiril,  18')1,  the  parties  intendtnl  for 
the  westward  exjjlorations,  niimherinK  one  hundred  and  four 
men,  ])roceeded  under  the  command  of  Captain  Ommaney 
to  the  northwest  end  of  (JrifTith  Island,  and  there  the  entire 
encampment  was  closely  inspected  hy  Captain  Austin. 

The  extraordinary  records  of  the  six  "extench'd"  parties, 
those  with  instructions  to  j^o  the  farthest  possible  distance, 
were  as  follows  :  First,  the  sledge  Rvlinnce,  under  Ca})tain 
Ommaney.  travelled  on  south  shore,  was  absent  sixty  days, 
and  covered  four  hundred  and  eighty  miles,  two  hundred  and 
five  of  which  was  previously  unknown  coast.  Second,  the 
sledge  True  Blue,  umler  LieuttMiaut  0»i>oru,  travelled  on  the 

120 


^  ^A^^c^kytz/ 


I 


n 


SEARCH    FOR    SIR    JOHN    FRASKLIN 


121 


south  shon-,  was  absent  fifty-iMKlit  days,  covcrod  five  hundnMl 
and  six  miles,  and  tliscovered  seventy  miles  of  coast.  The 
third  sledge,  Enterprise,  under  Lii'Utenant  Hrown,  travelled  on 
south  shore,  was  absi'ut  forty-four  dtiys,  and  covered  three 
hundred  and  seventy-five  miles,  including  one  hundred  and 
fifty  of  previously  unknown  coast.  The  True  Blue,  makinj; 
the  most  western  point  reached  103°  2.5'  west  lonf^itiule,  a 
point  about  halfway  between  Leopold  Island  and  I'oint 
Turnagain  on  the  American  continent. 

Of  the  three  parties  desij^ned  for  the  search  of  the  north 
shore,  the  first  sled}i;e,  Lady  Frnnklin,  under  command  of 
Lieutenant  Aldrich,  was  absent  sixty-two  days,  covered  five 
hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and  discovered  seventy  miles  of 
coast.  The  second  sledse,  Persireranee,  under  Lieutenant 
M'Clintock,  was  absent  eighty  days,  and  covered  seven 
hundred  and  sixty  miles,  forty  mUes  of  which  was  jireviously 
undiscovered  coast.  The  third  sledge,  liesohde,  under  Sur- 
geon Bradford,  was  absent  eighty  days,  and  covered  six 
hundred  and  sixty-nine  miles,  and  discovered  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  miles  of  coast. 

To  Lieutenant  MTHntock  wasdue  the  honour  of  reaching 
the  farthest  west,  74°  38'  north  latitude,  and  114°  20'  west 
longitude.  On  this  journey  M'C'lintock  reached  Bushman 
Cove,  Melville  Island,  where  Parry  had  encamped  June 
11,  1820.  Traces  of  his  stay  were  found  by  M'Clintock  and 
later,  upon  crossing  to  Winter  Harbor,  on  a  large  stone 
boulder  he  found  the  following  inscription:  — 


His  Britannic  Majesty's 

Ships  Heda  and  (iriper, 

(\»mmande<l  by 

W.  C.  Parry  and  Mr.  Liddon, 

Wintered  in  the  adjacent 

Harbor  1819  20. 

A.  Tisher.  Sculpt. 


-[■21 


THE  CHEAT    WHITE  yoliTlf 


I  if 


II     r 


r 


It  was  ('vi(l«'nt  that  no  man  had  visited  tlif  spot  since  that 
rarly  date,  and  a  hare  was  t'ound  near  the  roek  so  tame  that 
she  would  almost  allow  the  men  to  touch  her.  M'Clintock 
lidded  the  lij^ures  1S,"»1  lo  the  iii>(ri|)t ion  and  prepareil  to 
return  to  the  ships,  wiiicli  he  reached  July   I. 

The  i)arfies  orjiaiiized  lor  the  purpose  of  depositinj^  pro- 
visions, settinjj;  n\)  marks,  and  makini^  ol>M'rvations,  were 
absent  from  the  ships  durinu;  periods  of  from  twelve  to 
thirty-four  days.  Straiiiic  as  it  may  seem,  they  miderwent 
greater  hardship  and  suffered  more  than  the  "extended, 
parties,"  wiiich  returned  in  excellent  comlition,  whereas 
no  less  than  twenty-eisiht  men  were  fro^^t-hitteii,  and  one 
(lieil  from  exliaustii)n,  of  tlK)se  sharinj^  the  shorter  excur- 
t^ions. 

The  six  parties  desinnafed  for  the  ('xploration  of  Welling- 
ton Channel  were  under  the  connnand  of  Captain  Stuart, 
Messrs.  Marsliall,  J.  Stewart,  and  Reid,  and  Singeons  Suther- 
land and  ( loodsir. 

From  tin  outset,  .\pril  17,  they  encountered  disagreeable 
weather,  which  considerably  delaycvl  rheir  progress.  How- 
ever, ('a])tain  Penny,  who  had  general  supervision,  was  for- 
tiuiate  enough  to  discover  "a  wide  westward  strait  of  open 
wat<T,  lying  along  the  further  side  of  the  l.inds  which  flank 
Barrow's  Strait  and  Parry's  Strait."  Entering  the  ice  lanes 
with  a  boat,  he  ])enetrate(l  uj)  (Queen's  Channel  as  far  us 
Baring  Island  and  Cape  Peecher.  Being  able  to  i)roce<Ml  no 
further,  he  returned  to  the  ships.  .\t  this  point  "a  fin(  open 
sea  stretched  invitingly  away  to  the  north,  but  his  fragile 
boat  was  ill-eciuipped  for  a  voyage  of  discovery.  Fully  jx-r- 
suadcd  that  Franklin  nmst  have  followed  this  ro\ite,  he  faileil, 
however,  in  convincing  Cajjtain  .\ustin  of  the  truth  of  his 
theory,  and  as,  without  that  officer's  cooperation,  nothing 
could  be  effected,  he  was  compelled  to  follow  the  cours(! 
pointed  out  by  the  Admiralty  stjuadron,   which,  after  two 


sf:Aii<n   Foi!   sii:  .loiis    iuasklis 


\'l^ 


iiiclTcctuul   ultcnipts  to  ciilcT  Smitli   ;ui4  .loiios  soiuuls,  rc- 
turiicd  ti»  l']ii'^l;iiul." 

All  uiiliktly  i;ili'  tiild  to  old  Sir  .Idlm  Hos^  hy  tltc  Eskimos 
near  Cajx'  ^'u^k,  to  tiir  ctVcct  that  in  the  winter  ui'  1SI(»  twi) 
ships  were  wifckcd  in  the  ice  oil'  Cape  Dmll'V  l)i,un<'s  and 
aftt'i-ward-  ran-ackcd  and  Imnicil  l)y  tlic  natives,  and  the  crew 
red,  dctci-iniiK'd  Sir  .John  to  invcstiiiatc  tlic  story  as 

1  thr  /•'.//.!•  to  l!ii|nhin(l. 


massai 
closclv 


po>,-ilili'  and  thin  return   ii 


I'^t'ii  after  hi-  return  home,  he  >eeni>  to  liave  l)een  (inn  in  the 
helief  that  Sir  John  I'rankhn  and  the  crew  of  the  Kirhti-s  and 
Terror  ])erished  in    lialiin   liay. 

Having;  made  a  elose  inspection  of  tliis  l)ay  hefore  his  re- 
turn, lie  descriite.-  t  he  results  of  his  sean  h  as  follows  :  "Many 
im])ortant  eorreetions  and  valuai>le  additions  were  made  to 
the  charts  of  the  much  fre(|iiented  eastern  side  of  liaiiin  Hay, 
which  has  lieeii  more  elo>ely  oliserved  and  navigated  by  this 
than  any  former  e\])editioii  ;  and,  much  to  my  satisfaction, 
confirminji  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  every  heaiUand  I 
had  tlie  oi)i)ortunity  < 


niim  down  in  the  vear  ISIS. 


We  turn  now  to  continue  th<'  story  of  another  exjieilition. 

The    little    Prince    Allxrl,    which    spuke    the    Ailnnice   and 

lie-^ciie  in  Hailin  l')ay,  .Inly   IJ.  iSol,  on  her  return  trij)  to 

rtliern    waters,    had    been    most    carefullv   overliaule(l   -md 


no 


n-fitt 


ed    for    her   anluous   enteri)nse 


Her 


commander   wus 


Captain  Kennedy,  and  second  in  commaiid  was  Lieutenant  J. 

h   officer  note<l    for   his  adventurous 


a   vouti"; 


'ren( 


Hellot, 

spirit  and  charininfi  jK-rsonality,  who  had  volunfeenMl  his 
services,  .\monjj;  the  crew,  all  of  whom  were  ])icked  men, 
was  .lohii  Ilephurn,  who  had  accoini)anied  Sir  John  Franklin 
on  that  first  land  e.\i)editi(in  which  came  near  i)rovin<i;  fatal 
to  the  entire  party,  .\nother  of  the  men  had  acconi[)anied 
Dr.  Hae  on  his  first  journey  to  Ke]iulse  Bay,  and  a  third  had 
accomi)anied  Sir  John  Richardson  in  hi-  boat  journey  through 
the  interior  of  .\meri<'a. 


ll'l 


riiK  <;i:eat  wjiitk  xoir'n 


Pi 


H 


Discouru^inji;  cotiditioiis  of  ice  and  weather  met  tho  gal- 
lant crew  ill  rriiicc  i{cj:;('iit  iiilrl.  Ploiijihiiiv;  :i  way  through 
a  tortuous  course,  the  I'riiin  Allml  >U('eee(ling  ill  reaehiiig 
lOlwiii  liay  only  to  find  it  ice-hound  and  iin|)assahle.  Batty 
iiay  and  Fury  Heach  were  also  iinpossihle  iif  access,  and  now 
the  condilioii  of  the  ice  hecoining  so  alarming,  they  gave  up 
an  attenii)t  at  the  we>t  side  of  the  inlet  and  made  a  hasty 
retreat  to  Port  Howeii,  where  traces  of  Sir  IMward  Parry's 
jiarty,  which  wintered  there  in  1ST),  were  still  discernil)le. 

To  avoid  wintering  at  so  great  a  distance  from  the  scene 
of  the  exi)lorations  planned  for  the  following  spring,  they  i"e- 
crosx'd  the  strait  ami  approached  the  shore  for  the  purjjose 
of  making  a  landing.  Captain  Kennedy,  accom]»anied  by 
four  of  the  crew,  cast  off  in  a  gutta-jM-rcha  boat  and  made  fur 
the  lu'ach.  I'lHin  landing,  Captain  Kennedy  ascended  the 
cliffs  of  Cai)e  Seppings,  and  decried  Port  Leojjold  free  from 
ice.  HoiMiig  to  put  the  J'rlnvc  AUxrt  in  this  safe  harbour,  he 
at  once  made  an  attempt  \o  rejoin  his  ship,  but,  upon  reach- 
ing the  shore,  found  to  his  consternation  that,  owing  to  the 
sudden  moving  of  tin-  ice-pack,  he  could  not  rejoin  her  and 
that  she  was  being  merrily  carried  down-stream  in  spite  of 
every  effort  of  the  men  on  board  to  stitj)  her  |)r(>gress.  Tho 
shadows  of  night  came  u])()ii  them  rai)idly,  and  the  temjies- 
tuous  roaring,  grinding,  and  tossing  of  the  ice  was  all  that 
could  be  M'cn  or  heard. 

A  most  uncomfortable  night  followed  their  unlucky  ad- 
venture. Their  boat  was  tlu>  only  available  shelter,  and  this 
served  for  a  covering  under  which  one  man  at  a  t  me  took  an 
hour's  uneomfortabh'  rest,  wh  le  the  others  exercised  to  keep 
their  bodies  from  freezing.  The  next  morning  at  dawn,  upon 
moimting  the  clilTs  once  more,  their  alarm  was  increased 
by  the  melancholy  fact  that  the  ship  had  completely  di.s- 
appeared  from  view. 

No  more  forlorn  castaways  can  be  imagined.     The  only 


jiKTruy  <tF  riiE  riuxcE  aljujut 


1:2.") 


rnitif^iitiiiR  circumstance  in  their  sorry  coiiditioii  wsis  the 
kiiowledffe  that  on  the  other  side  of  the  harbour  at  Whaler 
Point,  Sir  .lames  |{oss  had  left  a  (1<  jtosit  of  provisions  ahuut 
two  yi-ars  before.  To  this  j)oint  their  steps  were  now  directed, 
and  upon  reachinj;;  the  (K'pot  their  hopes  revived  somewhat 
when  they  found  the  condition  of  the  provisions  excellent. 
The  house  left  by  Sir  .lames  Ross  was  in  fair  condition,  the 
Has  and  record  were  easily  found,  and,  resifjned  to  their  fate, 
Kennedy  and  his  companions  (h'termined  to  face  the  possibil- 
ity of  passing  the  long  Arctic  winter  with  the  best  possibh; 
grace. 

"It  was  now,"  says  Kennedy,  "the  lOth  of  September, 
Winter  was  eviih-nily  fast  setting  in,  and,  from  the  distance 
the  ship  had  been  carried  (hiring  that  disastrous  night,  — ■ 
whether  out  to  sea  or  down  the  inlet  we  could  not  conjecture, 
—  there  was  no  hope  of  our  being  able  to  rejoin  her,  at  least 
during  the  present  season.  There  remained,  therefore,  no 
alternative  but  to  make  up  our  minds  to  pass  the  winter,  if 
necessary,  where  we  were.  The  first  object  to  be  attended  to 
was  the  erecting  of  some  sort  of  shelter  against  the  daily  in- 
creasing inclemency  of  the  weather;  and  for  this  pur|)ose, 
the  launch,  left  by  Sir  .James  Ross,  was  selecte<l.  Her  main 
mast  was  laid  on  sui)i)orts  at  the  Ixiw  and  stern,  about  nine 
feet  in  height,  and  by  spreading  two  of  her  sails  (tver  this  a 
very  tolerable  roo  was  obtained.  .\  stove  was  set  uj)  in  the 
body  of  the  boat,  with  the  i)ipes  running  through  the  roof; 
and  we  were  soon  sitting  by  a  comfortable  fire,  which,  after 
our  long  c.\])osure  to  the  wet  and  cold,  we  stood  very  much  in 
need  of." 

It  was  the  intention  of  (\i]>tain  K(>nnedy  to  make  sledg(> 
journeys  to  distant  i)oints  in  th(>  hope  of  sighting  the  Prince 
Alhf'H  or  discovering  traces  of  the  Knhiis  and  Terror,  but 
before  the  necessary  pre])arations  were  completed,  some  five 
weeks  after  their  separation  from  the  ship,  a  shot  echoed 


ii'i; 


THE  (iUKAT    WIUTE   Mil!  I II 


llin)ll}ili  the  >lillni'>s.  uiiil  l.iciitciiaiit  IJcllot  iilid  seven  of 
the  crew  tit  tlie  I'liiia  AUxrl  came  In  llieir  re-cue.  Alter 
two  |)revii)ii>  attempts  to  iiiid  tlieir  loiiu;-l(>st  cnrnradi's, 
tlicy  had  .succeeded  in  drajijiinu;  the  Ji)lly-lM)at  all  the  way 
fntiii  Hatty  liay,  wheti'  the  I'rnici  AHh  rl  was  .securely  nunired. 
Of  this  hai)|).v  reunii)ii,  ("aptain  Keiiiuily  writes:    - 

"It  can  hardly  he  a  matter  of  surjiriM'  that  the  reaction  in 
the  state  of  our  feelinjis,  <'on-e(|uenl  upon  this  unexpected 
meeting  with  our  loim-lost  friends,  shouM  have  lieen  striking 
and  immediate,  and  in  direct  proportion  to  our  former  solici- 
tuile  and  dejection. 

■'It  was  hut  five  weeks  'hy  the  chime'  since  our  disas- 
trous >eparation  from  the  I'rincc  Alhai:  hut  tlie.v  were  fi\-e 
l/((tr.-<  of  dreary  anxiety  and  despondency  fast  merj^inj;  into 
somethinji  like  <lespair.  We  had  a  .jovial  eveninu,,  let  th<' 
reader  he  well  assured,  in  our  little  launch  that  I7tli  of  Oc- 
tolier,  anil  a  .jovial  housewarmiii<i-,  out  of  Her  .Majesty's 
stores  at  Port  Leopold,  enjoyeil  none  the  less  from  the  ah- 
sence  of  any  ^rim  vision  of  a  lonu;  reckoninu;  to  discharge  with 
niine  host'  on  the  morrow.  And  we  kept  it  up.  too,  let 
mt^  tell  you,  with  \nws  >aiii-  of  our  adventures,  and  rou,u:h  old 
sea  soiiiis  ;  and  in  liriniiulii;j  cu|)s  of  f.amous  chocolate.  "  cheer- 
ing Init  not  inel-riatiim.'  drank  most  loy.ally  (at  Her  .Maj- 
esty's expcux'i  ;i  happy  meeting;  with  H.  .M.  S.  Knhii.s  and 
Terror,   and   their  jzallaut    crews. 

"It  wa-  -ome  days  after  this  before  our  i)rei)arations  for 
retiu'iiinK  to  the  ship  were  comi)leted.  At  Last,  on  Weilnes- 
day.  the  22d,  exactly  six  weeks  after  our  first  detention  at 
Whaler  Point,  we  set  out  :  .after  depositing  a  jKiper  in  the  cyl- 
inder, containint!;  iiiform;ition  of  our  proceedings  up  to  this 
•  late,  and  placinu  all  the  ion-.'  -tores  in  proper  order  and 
.-security  for  the  u.-e  of  any  party  that  should  come  after 
us. 

"()ur  pruvi.-iun.-  and  'trap.-'  of  all  kinds  were  stowed  on  a 


HKTmX    OF    llIK    I'liiyCK   ALI'.l.nT 


127 


stroiifi  slf'inli.  A  mast  was  tlicn  set,  and  a  sail  lioistrd  in  tlio 
j(»lly-lit)at,  and  away  wr  went  hcturc  u  si)ankiny;  tair  wind 
ov<T  the  smooth  ice  ol'  Leopold  llailior  at  a  rate  wliich  "all 
the  Kin^f's  liorsi's'  could  hardly  have  been  ('(jual  to.  We  had 
not  ^oni'  hall'  across  the  bay,  however,  before  our  sleigh, 
wholly  unused  to  this  style  of  locomotion,  l)n>ke  down,  and 
it  cost  us  the  best  part  of  the  day,  before  we  could  repair  our 
damajj;e  and  start  afresh." 

"In  our  endeavor  to  reach  Mr.  Bellot's  encainjniicnt  of 
the  Kith,"  continues  Mr.  Kennedy,  "we  continued  on  foot 
lonii'er  than  we  should  have  done,  and  the  conse(|uence  was, 
that  beinK  overtaken  by  ni;;ht  before  lookinji;  for  camping 
ground,  we  found  ourselves,  before  we  were  aware  or  hud 
time  to  reflect  on  the  ])redicament  we  luul  s<*t  into,  tropin;; 
about,  in  the  darkness,  and  with  a  heavy  shower  of  .snow 
fallini;',  for  some  bit  of  terra  firma,  (for  we  had  been  all  day 
upon  the  ice),  where  we  could  pitch  the  tent.  We  stumbleti 
at  last,  after  makiu}:;  our  shins  mor(>  freely  accjuainted  than 
was  altojretlK  r  aj^reeable  with  the  sharp  edujes  of  the  broken 
ice,  iiiVo  a  fine  sciu.uv  of  dear  beach,  between  .some  heavy 
masses  of  strandetl  ice.  Choosing  out  the  softest  jjart  of  a 
.shelviuij;  rock  of  limeslone  of  which  the  beach  was  composed, 
we  ])ii(he(l  the  tent,  spn^ad  the  oilcloth,  and  with  some  coals, 
which  we  had  brouj;ht  with  us  I'rom  Whaler  Point,  Ijoiled  a 
good  kettle  of  tea  for  ;ill  hands. 

".Ml  these  prepanitions  were,  however,  but  introductory 
to  another,  wliich  we  found  a  most  ilidicult  j)roblem  indeed  — 
nam(>ly,  to  contrive  how  we  were  all  to  pas.s  the  night  in  the 
single  little  t<'nt  we  had  brought  with  us.  We  all  got  in, 
certainly,  and  got  the  kettle  in  the  middle  ;  hut  as  for  lying 
down  to  sleep  it  was  utterly  out  of  the  ((uestion.  A  London 
omnibus  on  a  racing  day  after  five  o'clock,  was  the  only  par- 
allel I  could  think  of  to  our  attempt  to  stow  thirteen  men, 
including  our  colossal  carpenter,  into  a  tent  intended  for  six. 


US 


rilK  a  I! KM  wniTK  yoiiTii 


.f 


1 


At  last,  after  sonic  ilrliltcration,  it  was  arraiiurd  tliut  we 
slionld  sit  (Inwii  six  in  a  row.  on  racli  siili-,  wliicli  would  leave 
us  aliout  three  feet  clear  to  strelcli  our  le^>>.  Mr.  I?ellot, 
who  formed  the  thirteenth,  heinji,  tiic  most  comjiact  anil  stow- 
jihle  of  the  party,  ajireed  to  .s(iueczc  in  underneath  them, 
.stipulating  only  for  a  clear  foot  sijuare  for  his  head  alongside 
the  tea-kettle.  Heiiij;  unprovidcfl  with  a  candlestick,  even  if 
there  had  l)een  room  to  place  one  anywhere,  it  was  arranged 
that  each  of  us  should  hold  the  candle  in  his  hand  for  a  (piarter 
of  an  hour,  and  then  pass  it  to  his  neighbor,  and  thus  by  the 
jiid  of  our  ilickerin^^  taper,  through  the  thick  steam  of  the 
l)oilinji;  kettle,  we  had  just  enough  liKlit  to  lucvent  us  putting 
our  tea  into  our  neighbor's  mouth,  ii\stead  of  our  t)wn. 

'"Well,  boys.'  su^^ficsts  our  ever  jovial  first  mate.  Henry 
Anderson,  'now  we  are  fairly  seated,  I'm  thinking,  us  we 
can  do  nothing  else,  we  had  best  make  a  night  of  it  again. 
What  say  you  to  a  song,  Dick?'  Whereupon,  nothing  loath, 
Mr.  Richard  Webb  strikes  up,  in  the  first  style  of  forecastle 
execution,  'Susannah,  don't  you  cry  for  me,'  which  is,  of 
coiuse,  received  by  the  comi)any  with  the  utmost  enthusiasm, 
'Mr.  Webb,  your  health  and  song.'  and  general  ai)plause. 
and  emptying  of  tea-cans,  which  Mr.  John  Smith,  pleading 
inability  to  sing,  undertakes  to  rei)lenish  for  tlu-  night. 

'"Irvine,  my  lad,  pass  the  candle,  and  give  us  the  "Tailor."' 
Mr.  Irvine,  you  must  vmderstand,  gentle  reader,  has  dis- 
tinguished himself  by  some  extraordinary  ])erformances  on 
the  bhmkel-bugs.  during  our  late  <letention  at  Whaler  Point, 
in  virtue  of  which  he  has  been  formally  installed  'Tailor  of 
the  I'Apedition.' 

'"The  Tailor'  is  accordingly  giv(>n.  ran  nmore,  .and  is  a  re- 
markable hist.)ry  of  knight  of  the  thimble,  who,  burying  his 
goose,  like  Pros])ero  his  books,  'beyond  the  reach  of  plum- 
met,' beconu^s  a  'Sailor  bold,'  and  in  that  cai)acity  enslaves 
the  heart  of  a  lovely  hidy  of  incalculable  wealth,  who,  etc.,  etc. 


^\ 


\ 


ItKll  IIX    OF    HIE    PUIM  K    ALIIKRT 


120 


We  all  know  the  rest.  '  Ki'imctli,  yciti  monstrr,  ttikt-  that 
cluiiisy  f<M)t  of  youi>  olT  my  .stoiutifli,  will  you?'  ctu'd  out 
poor  Mr.  IJcllof,  sniotlicrcil  iH'iu'titli  the  weight  of  four-un<l- 
t\\%'iity  Icjis,  upon  whk'li  tlu'  carpciitcr,  in  his  ca^i.crncs.s  to 
comply.  prol)Jil)ly  drives  his  foot  into  Mr.  licllot's  «-y»'.  And 
so,  passing  the  souf!;  and  tin-  joke  around,  Mr.  Hrllot,  occa- 
sionally makinn  a  sudden  desperate  elTort  to  ^et  up,  and  sit- 
ting <lown  ajtain  in  despair,  with  a  lonj;  'Mow'  like  a 
grampus,  we  make  what  .Vnderson  calls  'a  night  of  it.' 
No  management,  however,  can  make  our  solitary  candle 
last  heyond  twelve  o'clock,  or  thereal)outs.  Notwithstand- 
ing this  extinguisher  to  the  entertainments  of  the  evening, 
Mr.  .\nders«)n,  while  som«'  are  do/ing  and  holwi-nohhing  in 
their  dreams,  may  still  be  lieard  keeping  it  up  with  un- 
abated spirit  in  the  dark,  wakening  every  .sleei)er  now  and 
then  with  some  tremendous  chorus  he  has  contrived  to  get 
u|)  among  his  friends,  for  the  '  Bay  of  Biscay,'  or  some  favour- 
ite (Ireeidand  melody,  with  its  inspiriting  burthen  of  '("heeri 
lie,  ah!    cheeri-lie!'" 

A  wann  welcome  awaiteil  the  lost  ones,  when  a  few  (hiy.s 
later  they  reached  the  shi[). 

"With  our  return  to  the  vessel,"  writes  Mr.  Kennedy, 
"may  be  .said  to  have  closed  all  our  operations,  as  far  as  the 
ship  was  concerned,  in  the  Arctic  seas  for  the  year  18.')1. 
TIktc  remained  nt)W  only  to  make  our  arrangements  for  the 
vessel  passing  tlu>  next  .six  or  eight  months  where  we  were, 
and  for  pn'paring  for  our  own  winter  journeys." 

Preparations  were  completed  by  January  '),  18.')2,  and  the 
niorning  of  that  day  the  men  on  snow-shoes,  with  dogs  drag- 
ging the  sledges,  started  off  amid  the  cheers  of  their  comrades 
and  the  yelping  and  barking  of  the  dogs. 

"The  first  ol)ject  of  the  journey,"  continues  Mr.  Kennedy, 
"was.  of  course,  to  ascertain  whether  Fury  Reach  had  been 
a  retreating  ivjiiit  to  any  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  party  since 


MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TEST   CHART 

lANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2i 


I  45 


m 

m 
m 

140 


'.25   ■  1.4 


2.2 

II  2.0 

[  1.8 
1.6 


^     APPLIED  INA^GE     Inc 


''■■3    La^t    Wen    Street 

-    tester,    Ne«    York         ;«609 
"■(.'    -8?       OJOO  -  Phone 
'■>'.'    288  -   5989  -  r^,. 


1:10 


riiK  (iUEAT  WHITE  soiirir 


t 


ft 


it  was  visited  hy  Lirutonant  R()l)iiison,  of  the  Enterprise,  in 
ISM).  A  secondary  ohjeet,  sliouKl  our  exiH'etations  in  this 
res])ect  not  he  realized,  was  to  form  a  first  depot  of  provi- 
sions lu're,  with  llie  view  of  earryinj^  out  a  more  extended 
seareli  as  soon  as  circumstanees  would  i)ern\it.  It  was  de- 
sirable at  the  same  time  to  ascertain  the  state  of  the  roads, 
hy  which,  of  coiu'se,  I  mean  the  yet  untrodden  surface  of  the 
snow  or  ice,  in  the  direction  in  which  we  meant  to  go,  l)efore 
commencinj!;  any  transport,  on  a  larp;e  scale,  l)etwoen  the 
shij)  and  Fury  Beach  ;  and  it  was  thought  advisable,  tiiere- 
fore,  to  go  com])aratively  light.  A  small  sujtply  of  pemmican 
was  all  we  took  with  us  in  addition  to  our  travelling  re- 
quirements, consisting  of  a  tent  and  ])()les,  blaidveting  and 
provisions  for  a  week,  some  guns  and  ammunition,  fu<>l,  and 
a  c(K)king  ai)i)aratus,  in  all  weighing  from  two  hundred  to 
two  hundred  and  fifty  innnids." 

From  the  outset  the  travelling  was  difficult  and  arduous. 
"...  not  infre(iU(Mitly  after  toiling  to  the  top  of  an  incline, 
a  lurch  of  the  sleigh  would  send  us  careening  in  a  verj-  lively 
and  unexpecteil  manner  to  the  bottom.  Here  follows  an  in- 
ci(h>nt  in  our  first  day's  journey,  which  caused  us  some  amuse- 
ment at  the  time,  and  carried  a  lesson  with  it,  whenever 
we  hail  to  encoimter  atiy  of  these  ol)staclcs  afterward. 

"We  had  got  about  halfway  up  one  of  tliose  villainous 
steejrs,  when  our  entire  cortege  gave  unmistakable  signs  of 
a  tend(>ncy  to  seek  a  sudden  d(>scent.  There  was  just  time 
for  us  to  cast  off  tlie  traces,  all  but  poor  Mr.  Bellot,  who  was 
not  sufficiently  alert  in  disengaging  his,  when  away  went 
the  sleigh  and  dogs,  and  Mr.  Bellot  after  them  into  an  abyss 
at  the  bottom,  where  the  only  indication  of  the  catastrophe 
that  could  l)e  seen  was  some  six  indies  of  Mr.  Bellot's  heels 
above  the  surfac(>  of  the  snow.  We  dug  him  out  'a  wiser 
and  a  bett(>r  man'  for  the  rest  of  the  journey,  whenever  any 
of  these  ])estileut  slojies  had  to  be  encountered  thereafter." 


(  A P TA LY  KENNED Y—  B ELLO T 


l:Jl 


On  the  Sth,  the  distance  to  Fury  Bcadi  being  very  short, 
Mr.  Kennetly  deciiled  to  leave  the  sledge  and  two  of  the 
men,  and  press  on  with  Mr.  Bellot,  and  one  man  unen- 
cumberetl. 

"It  may  be  imagined  with  what  feelings,"  says  Kennedy, 
"when  we  really  had  come  u]wn  it,  we  approached  a  sjwt 
round  which  so  many  hopes  and  anxieties  had  so  long  centred. 
Every  object,  chstinguished  by  the  moonlight  hi  the  distance, 
became  animated  to  our  imaginations,  into  th(>  forms  of  o\ir 
long-absent    countrymen;     for   had    they    been    iniprisf)ne(l 
anywhere  in  the  Arctic  Seas,  within  a  reasonable  distance 
of  Fury  Beach,  here  we  felt  assured  some  of  them  at  least 
would  have  been  now.     But  alas !    for  these  fond  hopes ! 
How  deei)ly,  though  perhaps  unconsciously  cherished,  none 
of  us  probably  suspected,  till  stanchng  under  the  tatt(>red 
covering  of  Somerset  House,  and  gazing  silently  upon  the 
solitude  aroimd  us,  we  felt  as  we  turned  to  look  mournfully 
on  each  other's  faces,  that  the  last  ray  of  hope  as  to  this 
cherished  imagination  had  fieil  from  our  hearts.     It  is  perhaps 
necessary  for  the  vigorous  prosecution  of  any  difficult  object 
that  for  the  moment,  some  particular  circumstance  in  the 
chain  of  operations  by  which  it  is  to  be  effected,  should  se(>m 
to  us  so  vitally  important  that  the  eye  is  blinded  to  all  beyond. 
The  spot  on  which  we  now  stood  had  so  long  been  associated 
in  our  minds  wth  some  clue  to  the  discovery  of  the  solution 
of  the  painful  mystery  which  hung  over  the  fate  of  Franklin, 
and   had   so   long   unconsciously   perhaps   coloured   all   our 
thought,  that  it  was  not  without  a  pang,  and  a  feeling  as  if 
tlu^  main  purpose  of  our  expedition  had  been  defeated,  that 
we  foimd  all  our  long-cherished  anticipations  .shattered  at  a 
'  blow  by  the  scene  which  met  our  eyes.     Thus  my  friend  and 
I  stood  paralyzed  at  the  death  like  solitude  around  us.     No 
vestige  of  the  visit  of  a  human  being  was  here  since  Lieu- 
tenant  Robinson  had  examined  the  depot  in   1849.    The 


i-il 

I.' 


132 


THE  GREAT    WHITE  SOUTH 


fl 


M 


storos,  still  in  the  most  pcrfct-t  i)rcsciv;Uion,  were  iJiccisily 
in  the  wcll-uiTiinjijcd  condition,  (Icscrilud  in  the  dear  report 
of  tluit  energetic  officer." 

"His  own  n(jtice  of  his  visit,"  continues  Mr.  Kennedy, 
"was  deei)ly  buried  in  the  snow,  and  the  index  .staff  he  had 
placed  over  it  was  thrown  down  and  <;iiawed  by  the  foxes. 
Wearied  with  a  long  and  fruitless  examination  we  took  up 
our  (juarters  for  a  repose  oi  a  f(nv  hours  in  Somerset  House, 
the  frame  of  which  was  still  standing  entire,  i,ut  the  cover- 
ing Mown  to  rags  hy  the  wind,  and  one  end  of  the  house  nearly 
tilled  with  snow.  We  lighted  a  fire  on  the  stove  Vv'hich  had 
heated  the  end  occupied  hy  Sir  John  Ro.ss's  crew  during  the 
dreary  winter  of  18;i2-33. 

"After  refreshing  ourseIv(>s  with  a  warm  supper,  and  nod- 
ding for  a  few  hours  over  the  ihv,  we  set  out  about  11  p.m. 
on  our  return  to  our  encamjiment,  which  we  reached  by  2  a.m. 
of  the  following  morning.  Our  return  from  this  point  to  th(> 
ship,  which  we  reached  about  o  i>.m.  of  Saturday  the  lOth, 
was  not  marked  bj-  any  incident  worthy  of  notice. 

"We  had  deposited  at  our  encamjiment  a  9()-])ound 
case  of  pemmican,  a  bag  of  coals,  two  muskets,  and  .some 
ammunition,  which,  while  it  served  as  a  reserve  for  future 
exi)U;rations  in  this  direction,  materially  lightened  the  labour 
of  the  dogs,  and  allowed  us  time  for  a  more  mimite  examina- 
tion of  the  coast  than  we  had  been  able  to  make  during  the 
outward  joiwney.  The  result,  howc^ver,  was  not  in  any 
respect  more  succ(>ssful.  Xo  trac(>s  of  any  kind  were  discov- 
ered which  could  throw  light  on  the  objects  of  our  search. 

"Thus  ended  our  first  journey  to  Ftny  Beach,  and  its  n^- 
sults  satisfied  us  that,  in  the  present  slate  of  tlie  ice  in  Prince 
Regent's  Inlet,  the  mor(>  extended  ex])lorations  of  the  coast- 
line, which  we  had  calculated  on  beiu",  :d  le  to  conmience 
on  (nir  return  to  the  ship,  could  not  now  b<-  rifely  undertaken, 
and   nmst   for  the   i)resent    be   ])ost])uiit<l.     We   were   mo.st 


cAi'TAjy  KHy.\Ei)y 


13:] 


reluctantly  ('(jinpcllcMl,  therefore,  to  pass  the  next  month  in 
the  ship,  oeeupied  in  the  same  -general  routine  <hities  as 
those  on  which  we  had  been  during  the  earlier  part  of  the 

winter." 

Captain  Ketmedy  {iives  a  vivid  d<>seription  of  Arctic  gales 
and  tlu>  dangers  of  travel  during  a  teniiiest.     "About  eight 
A.M.  in  the  morning  of  the  loth  February,"  he  writes,  "Mr. 
Bellot,  the  cari)enter,  Andrew  Irvine,  Henry  Anderson  (the 
first  mate),  and  myself  k'ft  the  ship,  taking  with  us  two  cases 
of  penunican,  and  three  tin  jars,  eai-h  containing  two  gallons 
of  spirits  of  wine,  on  a  sl(>dge,  drawn  by  five  Eskimo  dogs, 
for  the  purpos(>  of  depositing  them  a  short  distance  on  the 
way  to  Fury  Reach,   and  returning  in  the  evening.     After 
proceeiling  for  a  few  liours,  and  making  very  fair  progress 
along  a  tolerably  good  path,  a  strong  wind  arose,  which  by  one 
P.M.  had  increased  to  a  perfect  hurricane,  so  thickly  charged 
with  snow  that,  in  attempting  to  cross  a  bay  on  our  return, 
we  lost  sight  t)f  the  land  by  which  our  course  homeward 
had  l)(H>n  guided.     In  short,  aft(>r  wandering  about  ft)r  some 
time,  scarcely  able  to  distinguish  each  otluT  at  the  distance 
of  a  few  paces,  w(>  found  that  we  had  fairly  lost  our  way.     In 
this  liilenmia,  we  set   two  of  the  five  do,':;s  loose  from  the 
sledge,  in  the  hope  that  they  would  act  as  guides  better  than 
when  drawing;    l)ut  this  ])rov(Ml  to  be  a  mis1ak(>,  as  they 
would  not  leave  the  others.     At  last,  howcn'cr,  they  all  set 
off  together,  taking  the  sledge  with  them  and  l(>aving  us  to 
our  fate.     As  we  afterwards  found,  they  reached  the  shij) 
without  any  diffic\ilty,  and,  as  may  readily  be  supposed,  put 
ev(>ry  one  on  board  in  a  perf(M't  U^vvr  of  terror  and  anxiety  as 
to  what  had  become  of  us.     In  the  meantime,  we  had  gone 
on   floundering  over  broken   ice,   imtil   we  had   onc(^   more 
stumbled  on  the  land,  but  where  or  what  the  land  was  we 
had  fallen  i.nion,  nobody  knew.     It  was  somc^thing  certainly 
to  know  we  were  not  marchin;;  over  the  Inlet  or  out  to  sea,  in 


ill! 


II  i .' 


fi. 


II 


>? 


134 


THE   CHEAT    WHITE  SOUTH 


which  ciiso  wo  would  have  marclied  on,  and  in  all  probability 
never  returne(|  ;  but  in  other  respects  we  had  rather  lost 
than  giiiiied  by  -iiettin^  on  terra  firnia.  With  an  atmosphere 
as  thick  as  ])ea-s()ui),  and  no  sun,  moon,  or  stars  to  be  seen, 
there  was  no  kee|)iii<r  the  shore  (and  to  pjo  on  one  side  or  the 
other  was  to  incur  the  certainty  of  losing  ourselves  again, 
either  on  the  Inlet  or  on  the  land)  without  hugging  close  up 
and  into  a  break-neck  line  of  strandeil  fragments  of  ice, 
which  indicated  the  direction  of  the  beach. 

"Along  this  formidable  jiath  we  floundered  on  —  now 
coming  bumj)  U])  against  some  hug(>  fragment  of  ice,  or  pitch- 
ing over  the  top  of  it  into  a  \\o\v,  excavated  in  the  snow  at  the 
bottom,  by  the  whirling  eddies  of  the  wind  ;  now  walking, 
now  crawling,  occasionally  tumbling  into  the  snow,  until 
we  W(>re  all  brought  u])  by  a  cry  of  ]Kun  from  one  of  the  men 
who  had  met  a  'hoiilrrcrscnioit'  over  the  edge  of  a  bank  of 
ice.  It  was  a  sad  accident,  but  the  worst  of  it  was,  that 
after  slotting  him  cm  his  legs,  nothing  could  induce  him  to 
mov(>  a  steji  farther.  Hei-e  he  was,  and  here  he  maintained  ho 
must  remain  ' aiute  fjiii  coutc.'  There  was  no  reasoning  with 
the  poor  fellow,  wlio  ceitainlj'  had  sustained  a  very  severe 
injury,  but  not  anything  like  so  l)ad  as  he  had  imagined  it, 
and  it  would  never  do  to  leave  him  lying  here.  So  feigning 
to  take  him  at  his  word,  we  proposed  to  bundle  him  up  in  a 
buffalo-robe  and  bury  him  in  th(>  snow  for  the  night  — 
comforting  him  with  the  assurance  that  we  would  certainly 
come  back  for  him  in  the  morning.  This  Arctic  prescription 
had  a  magical  effect  upon  our  patient  —  the  l)ack  and  the 
broken  bones  were  speedily  forgotten,  and  in  a  short  time 
he  was  on  his  legs  again,  and  we  all  trudging  on  once  more  in 
the  old  rough  and  tumble  style  of  progression,  till  about 
midnight,  we  found  ourselves  standing  under  the  le(>  of  some- 
thing which  looked  like  :i  bank  tjf  snow,  Init  which,  to  our 
great  gratification,  proved  to  be  the  powder  house  we  had 


CA  r  TA  IN  KKy  y  kd  y 


135 


oroctcd  on  shore  in  the  beginning  of  the  winter.     A  con- 
sultation was  now  heUl  whetlier  we  sliouid  cut  our  way  into 
it  ami  pass  the  ni^ht  here,  'accoutred  as  we  were,'  or  make 
for  the  ship,  which  we  now  knew  could  not  be  far  off.     Our 
decision  was  for  the  latter,  and  the  only  (luestion  now  was, 
how  to  steer  for  the  vessel.     Tliis,  too,  was  decided  upon  at 
last,  by  each  of  the  party  pointing  in  turn,  in  the  (hrection  in 
which  he  thou^lit  th(>  vessc-l  lay,  and  then  takins?  the  mean 
of  the   bearings.     To   prevent   our   sei)arating   in   tlie  drift 
(for  some  of  the  party  had  by  this  time  got  so  l)enuml)ed  with 
cold,  as  to  be  unable  to  use  their  hands  to  clear  their  eye- 
lids, and  had  thus  become  lit(n-ally  blind  with  the  accumula- 
tion of  the  snow  on  their  eyes),  it  was  agnunl  that  at  certain 
intervals  we  should  call  and  answer  each  other's  names,  and 
that   those  whose  eyes  had  suffered  least  should  take  the 
others  in  tow.     In  this  order,  we  proceeded  for  the  vessel,  and 
fortun-\t(>ly  by  the  guidance  of  a  solitary  star,  that  could  be 
faintly  distinguished  through  the  drift,  got  near  enough  to  the 
ship  to  hear  the  wind  whistling  through  th(>  shrouds  and  were 
thus  guided,  rather  by  the  ear  than  by  the  eye,  to  her  position, 
and  soon  afterwards  found  ourselves  on  board,  where  we  were 
received  once  more  as  those  from  the  dead. 

"These  short  journeys,  however  arduous,  in  which  caches 
were  establish(>d  for  future  use,  were  only  preliminary  skir- 
mishes to  the  'grand  journey'  planned  by  Captain  Kennedy 
with  much  forethought  and  in  preparation  for  which  days 
ha<l  been  occupied  in  making  suitable  apparel,  trapi^ings,  and 
sledges.  It  was  e\7)ected  that  the  journey  would  take  at 
least  three  months.  Tlie  particular  direction  our  route 
ought  to  assume,  was,  of  course,  a  matter  to  be  r(>gulated 
very  much  by  the  nature  of  the  circumstanc(«s  that  might 
arise  in  the  course  of  it.  On  one  point  only  W(>  were  deciiled, 
viz.  that  it  should  embrace  Cape  Walker  to  which,  as  the 
point  of  dcijurture  of  Sir  John  Franklin  for  the  unknown 


V  r 


130 


THE  (ntr.AT  niiiTi-:  south 


\l 


rcjiioiis  1()  tlir  W .  11(1  S.W.,  li;i<l  he  dc  -idcd  \v\Hm  this  f()urs(\ 
ami  not  timir  uj)  \\  cllinjiton  Cliumicl,  iimcli  interest  naturtiily 
ilttaeiietl. 

"There  were  fourteen  of  the  crew  disposahle  in  the  ship,"' 
continues  ("ai)tain  Kennetly.  "of  whom  four  picked  uien  were 
to  }i()  with  Mr.  Hellot  and  niyxlf  to  ('ape  Walker,  while  the 
rest  were  to  accoini)a!iy  us,  as  a  fatiuue  i)arty,  as  far  as  I-'ury 
Heach,  which  was  to  form  the  startinjj-jioint  of  the  journey. 
Parties  sent  out  on  different  occasions  durin.jj;  the  last  two 
months,  had  taken  in  advance  six  cases  of  ])einmican,  six 
muskets,  and  a  haj;-  of  c.kiIs.  One  case  of  peinmican,  as 
already  mentioned,  had  heeix  deposited  in  Jamiary  a  few  miles 
north  of  Fury  Point.  Our  ))rovisions.  clothing,  and  l)e<ldin<!;. 
drawn  u])<<n  two  Indian  sleighs  Iiy  our  fncdojrs,  liad,  of  course, 
been  reduced  to  whatever  was  strictly  indisjiensahle.  Five 
gallons  of  si)irits  of  wine  were  taken  as  a  substitute  for  fuel. 
With  pr()i)er  niana<i-ement  and  economy,  we  liojx'd  to  make 
this  last  us  till  the  si)rinK,  when,  by  the  ])lan  we  i)roposed 
adoi>tinf«;,  of  travelling  durin<;-  the  nijiht  instead  of  the  day, 
we  trusted,  should  a  necessity  arise  for  so  doing,  to  be  able 
to  disjK'nse  with  the  use  of  fuel  altojiothor. 

"On  th(>  morningof  the  20th of  February,  a  scene  of  general 
Inistle  and  excitement  showed  that  all  oiu"  arrangements  had 
b(>en  completed,  and  that  the  long-defc^rred  start  for  the  grand 
journey  was  alujut  to  take  i)lac(>.  A  detachment  of  five  men, 
Mr.  Bellot,  and  myself,  were  all  that  could  leave  the  shij)  at 
this  time;  the  others  ai)poiuted  to  join  us  Iieing  still  under 
the  doctor's  attendance  for  slight  and  temjiorary  incon- 
V(»nience,  frost-bites,  etc.  The  whole  crew,  however,  had 
mustered  to  see  us  as  far  ;is  the  soutli  i)()int  of  Batty  Ray,  all 
but  our  dear  IIei)burn,  who,  unabk'  to  control  his  manly 
emotion  at  ])arting  with  .so  many  old  friends,  and  above  all 
at  being  unable  to  accompany  us.  took  a  touching  farewell 
of  us  at  the  ve^j-sel;   '  Ciod  ble.^.'^  you,"  said  he,  grasjiing  my 


CAPTAIX   A'/;.Y.VE/>r 


VVi 


hand  with  tilTcctiormtc  warmth,  'I  cannot  accompany  you, 
and  I  caimot  let  all  these  men  witness  my  emotion  :  let  mo 
part  with  you  here,  and  may  ( lod  ii^vuni  that  W(>  meet  in  life 
and  health,  after  the  hnifj;  and  hazardous  journey  you  are 
about  to  undertake.'  Though  this  veteran  hero  saw  much 
liardshij)  and  hazard  in  store  l)efore  us.  he  would  have  seen 
none  whatever  had  lie  been  allowed  to  accompany  us,  hut 
I  could  not  for  a  moment  ent(>rtain  \\\v  idea  of  emiAoyinR 
hitn  on  a  journey,  when  there  were  so  many  younger  men  all 
enmlous  to  he  en«j;aKe(l  on  it,  and  more  i)articularly  when 
lis  services  on  board  ship  were  so  indisi)ensable  ;  and,  by 
his  kindly  consenting  to  remain,  I  was  relieved  of  all  anxiety 
as  resi)ecte(l  tlie  Prince  Albert. 

"Reaching  the  south  i^oint  of  Batty  Ray,  with  our  friendly 
(>scort,  our  two  parti(>s  once  more  separated  with  many  kindly 
and  touching  farewells  and  then,  with  thre(>  h(>arty  cheers, 
diverf>;ins  in  our  different  roiites,  we  were  soon  lost  to  each 
other  in  the  mist  and  snow." 

The  fury  of  the  etiuinoctial  gales  greatly  impetled  the  ad- 
vance of  the  party,  frequently  detaining  them  for  several 

days  at  a  time. 

Sleilges,  moccasins,  and  snow-shoes  were  greatly  dam- 
aged under  the  hard  conditions  of  travel,  and  it  was  foimd 
necessary  wh(>n  the  whole  party  had  assembled  at  Fury  Beach 
to  send  back  to  the  ship  for  additional  supi^lies.  They  also 
made  use  of  the  excellent  stores  foimd  at  the  Fury  Beach 
which  had  been  l(>ft  there  thirty  years  before.  It  was  de- 
cided, after  careful  calculation,  that  six  men  could  carry 
provisions  for  the  proposed  journey  of  threes  months'  dura- 
tion ;  that  fourteen  men  should  travel  as  far  as  Brentford 
Bay,  at  which  point  eight  would  return  to  the  ship,  tlie  re- 
maining six  to  ])roceed,  carrying  with  them  all  provisions 
and  necessaries  for  the  remainder  of  the  trip. 

The  total  dead  weiglit  of  thi=  e(iuipm<'nt,  including  sledges 


■J I 


I 


l;!8 


77//;  (iiiKAT  wniTK  yoiiTir 


H 


h'l 


amlttickliiiu-,  iiiiiiht  l>(M>>tiiii;it<d;it  uhoiit  two  thousand  pounds. 
'■  Tlic  uholc  was  la.-lu'd  duwii,"'  writes  Kennedy,  "to  the 
snialle>l  ixo-ihleroinpasson  four  llat-hottonied  Indian  sleighs, 
of  which  our  live  K.>kinio  d(.iis.  assisted  hy  two  men  to  each 
sleii-h,  t<)()i<  two.  while  the  rest  of  the  men  took  tlie  other  two." 
The  day  of  their  start  proved  mild  and  plea.sant,  and  at 
first  the  trav<'lliiiji  was  -iood.  the  ice  heirig  sufficiently  .smooth 
to  make  easy  ami  rapid  |)rofj;re>s.  liut  such  good  fortune 
ditl  not  remain  with  them  lonji,  and  the  inevital.le  fjales  made 
travelling;  most  difficult  and  i)ainful.  The  usual  .sjiow  huts 
were  erected  at  ni^ht,  under  which  they  look  such  comfort  as 
their  short  hours  of  rest  afforded  them.  I'Yost-hites  caused 
them  nmch  sult'eriiisi-,  and  to  protect  their  faces  they  resorted 
to  curious  exjM'dients. 

"For  the  eyes,"  writ(>s  Iv-nnody,  "wo  had  sogRlos  of 
Rla.ss,  of  wire-<rauze,  of  cra[)e,  or  of  plain  wood  with  a  slit 
in  the  centre,  in  the  manner  of  Eskimos,  p'or  the  face, 
some  had  cloth-masks,  with  neat  little  crevics  for  the  mouth, 
no.se,  and  eyes;  others  were  muffled  uj)  in  the  ordinary 
chin-doth,  and,  for  that  most  troublesome  of  the  facial 
menihers,  the  nose,  a  strong  jxirty.  with  our  always  original 
carpenter  at  their  head,  had  gutta-percha  noses,  lined  ^\^th 
delicate  soft  flanni^l."  Though  admirable  in  theory,  these 
contrivances  prov(>d  failures  in  i)ractice,  and  were  all  discarded 
except  tlie  chin-cloths  and  goggles. 

On  tlie  ()th  of  April  they  reached  Brentford  Bay,  and  the 
fatigue  party  began  their  retrograde  journey  to  the  ship.  At 
this  point  Kennedy  discovered  a  strait  running  westward, 
separating  North  Somerset  from  Boothia  Felix.  This  he 
named  Bellot  Strait,  in  honour  of  the  brave  young  ofTicer 
who  had  .secured  the  affectionate  regard  of  commander  and 
crew.  From  here  the  party  crossed  \'ictoria  Strait  to  Prince 
of  Wales  Land,  naming  many  of  the  i)rominent  headlands, 
bays,  and  islands. 


r.i/'/.l/.V  AK.V.V/.'M' 


l:ilt 


On  April  17  tin-  tlicniionictcr  stood  at  plus  22.  "  ti  tciii- 
jM'niturc."  writes  Kciiiictly,  "wliicli,  to  t»ur  >(ii>:itii>ns,  was 
absolutely  oi»pressive.  One  of  our  (loj;s.  tlirouj;li  i)ver-e.\er- 
tion,  fainted  in  iiis  traces,  and  lay  ^aspin^  for  hreatli  for  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  ;  l)Ut  after  recovering-,  went  on  as  nn'rnly 
as  ever.  These  faithful  creatures  were  perfect  treasures  to 
us  throujihout  the  journey.  Th{>y  were  all  sufferinji.  like 
ourselves,  from  snow-hlindness,  hut  did  not  in  the  least 
relax  their  exertions  on  this  aceoinit.  The  Kskimo's  do«:  is, 
in  fact,  the  camel  of  these  northern  deserts;  the  faithful 
attendant  of  man,  and  the  sharer  of  his  labors  and  priva- 
tions." 

The  flat  country  over  which  they  were  travelling;,  and  the 
close  proximity  of  the  Magnetic  Pole,  which  rencU-red  their 
compass  of  little  use,  made  it  jiarticularly  diflicult  to  keep  a 
westerly  course.  It  was  hojied  that  thi>  direction  would  lead 
to  a  .sea  which  would  conduct  them  northward  to  ("ape 
Walker.  From  this  point  they  hoi)ed  to  ascertain  if  there 
was  any  westward  channel  or  strait  throujih  which  Sir  ,h)hn 
Franklin  might  have  jM'netrated.  After  marching  for  thir- 
teen days,  and  reaching  the  hundredth  degree  of  west  longi- 
tude, without  coming  to  a  sea,  Kennedy  decided  to  turn  north- 
ward to  Cape  Walker. 

"Being  now  satisfied,"  lie  writtvs,  "that  Sir  .lames  Ross 
had,  in  his  land  journey  along  the  western  shore  of  North 
Somerset,  in  1849,  mistaken  the  very  low  level  land  over 
which  we  had  hecm  travelling  for  a  W(>stern  sea,  I  felt  no 
longer  justified  in  continuing  a  w(>stern  course.  \Miatever 
passage  might  exist  to  the  south-west  of  ('a])e  Walker,  I  felt 
assured  must  now  be  on  our  north.  I  determined  therefore, 
from  this  time  forward,  to  direct  our  course  northward,  until 
we  should  fall  upon  some  chaimel  which  we  kncnv  must  exist 
not  far  from  us,  in  this  dinM-tion,  by  which  Franklin  might 
have  passed  to  the  southwest." 


1 

i 


■t,\ 


li' 


I 

i 


uo 


///A-   (.Ul.AT    Will  IK   .SOU  I II 


'I'lii'  cliMmicI  foi'  wliicli  tln'y  were  in  sc;ircli  could  not  he 
foiiinl.  I'ni.-tcroiis  jiulcs  >(ill  innsiifd  fliciii,  and  the  iiifii 
lii'Han  to  show  the  cH'ccIs  of  cxliaiistion  and  <xiK».iin'  in  tiu' 
form  of  tlic  divadctl  scurvy.  Tlicy,  llicrcforc,  turned  cast- 
ward  ajiain  and,  rcacliinji  ('a|>c  l?inncy,  tlicy  made  next  for 
('ai»e  Walker,  whicli  first  loomed  in  tlie  distance  the  Uh  of 
May.  Their  disa|)i)ointm<'nt  was  <;reat  at  finding  no  trace  of 
I'laiiklin's  expedition. 

"Wearietl  an<l  dispirited  heyond  description,"  writes 
Captain  Kennedy,  "at  the  fruitless  result  of  our  lonj;  and 
anxious  laltoiirs,  we  returned  to  our  encam])ment,  }>uide<l 
throuji;h  a  heavy  snow-storm  hy  tiie  report  of  j;,uns,  which  I 
had  directed  to  he  fired  every  fifteen  minutes,  to  make  prep- 
aration for  our  return  homeward.  Tliis  could  l)e  elTected 
either  hy  pushinji;  directly  for  Hatty  Hay.  across  North  Somer- 
set, a  distance  in  a  straij;lit  line  of  not  more  than  six  days' 
journey,  or  hy  followinj>;  the  coast  round  to  Whaler  Point, 
and  tlience  to  theship."  The  latter  route  was  chosen,  thou.iih 
the  (Ustance  was  nearly  douhle  that  of  the  other,  and  after 
an  ahsence  of  ninety-seven  days  and  coverinj;;  ahout  eleven 
hundred  miles,  they  at  last  reached  the  ship  May  'M).  A 
remarkahle  journey  "for  six  men  and  five  (lo<;s,  dra}j;{jinm  for 
most  of  the  way  two  thousand  ixmnds'  weij^ht,  and  sleepinjf 
in  snowhouses,  encamping  on  frozen  seas,  and  rarely  having 
a  fire  when  they  halted  to  recruit." 

Preparations  for  the  return  to  England  w(>re  now  com- 
menced, .hme  and  .luly  jiassed  with(Mit  the  vessel  Ix-comiiif^ 
free  from  the  ice,  hut  hy  the  (ith«  f  August,  after  .sawinj--  and 
hlastinji,  the  little  craft  was  liherated.  At  Heechey  Island, 
which  Captain  Kennedy  reached  the  lOth,  he  found  the  d(>j)()t 
shi])  Xoiih  Star,  now  attached  to  Sir  E.  Helcher's  expedition, 
enjiaped  in  sawinji  into  winter  quarters.  Proceeding  in  lier 
course,  the  Prinrp  AUnrt  reached  England,  after  an  uneventful 
voyage,  Octoher  7,  1853. 


CIIAPTKR   IX 


Search  for  Sir  Jolin  Franklin  rinilinniil :  Sir  Kdwanl  Hclchcr's 
sciuailroii.  Inuldicld.  -  I{ac's  joiinuv.  -  Di^'ovcry  of  Xorth- 
wi'st  PasisaKi'  l)y  (-'ai)taiu  M'Clurc.  —  Diatli  of  licllol. 

I.NTKUKST  in  the  mysterious  f;itc  of  Sir  John  Fninklin  was 
ii)  no  wise  lessened  hy  the  unexix'cted  return  to  Mngland  of 
tlie  searehinij;  scpiadron  in  1S.")1.  Or.  Rae's  huid  journey  of 
over  eifilit  hundred  miles,  ineludinfj;  a  thorough  examination 
of  the  east  and  north  coast  of  Victoria  Iian<l,  had  thrown 
no  new  lij^ht  on  the  tra^;ic  situation.  The  American  coast 
had  now  Ix'en  dilij^ently  examined  from  the  entrance  of  Beli- 
rins  Strait  to  the  head  of  Iludjon  Hay,  and  it  was  generally 
believetl  that  Franklin  had  never  reachi>d  so  low  a  latitude. 

On  April  2S,  18.')2,  a  tliorou;!;hly  e(iuipi)ed  scjuadron  of 
five  vessels  —  the  A^KisUtucv,  the  liisohde,  and  the  Xortli  Star, 
and  two  steamers,  the  Pioneer  and  Intrepii'  —  saileil  from 
Enjiland  under  the  command  of  Sir  FJdward  lielcher.  .The 
Aiisislnncc  and  Pioneer  were  to  sail  uj)  Wellington  Cluumel. 
The  Rexoliite  and  Intrepid,  under  commando*"  ('ai)tain  Kellett, 
were  to  proceed  to  Melville  Island,  there  to  dejiosit  provisions 
for  the  ase  of  {"ai)tain  Collinson  and  Connnander  M'Cluro, 
should  they  succeed  in  makinj!;  the  passage  from  Behring 
Strait,  for  which,  as  we  have  se(>n,  they  had  set  sail  in  Janu- 
ary, ISoO.  The  North  Star  was  to  remain  at  Boechey  Island 
as  a  depot  ston^  shij). 

By  the  Oth  of  .July  the  squadron  was  in  Baffir  Bay, 
accompanied  by  a  fleet  of  whalers.  The  ice  conditions  proved 
exasperating  ;  the  Assistance,  Pioneer,  .md  Resolute  were  l)eset 
and  detained  fur  a  time,  while  the  rest  of  the  fleet,  areom- 

141 


■4 

ti 


^)1 
'■'I 

'*  1 

■H 

)■ 

r 

.{< 

'♦■. 

.  { 


14: 


'////•;  CHEAT    WHITE 


UTIl 


'i  Ih     ' 


h  i 


panicd  hythc  whalers,  stn^tclicd  ,ii  u  lono;  train  of  some  throe 

•  luartcrs  of  a  mile  in  lenjith  and  slowly  pushed  their  way 

throu.^h  a  narrow  lane  of  water. 

The  American  wlialer,  McLdhni,  had  the  lead;  the  North 

Star  of  th(>  Eu<;lish  s(iuadron  followed  the  McLiUan.     The 
.^-.  weather   eonditions 

were  most  fuvcjur- 
uhle  ;  no  anxiety 
was  felt  for  the 
safety  of  the  vessels, 
in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  the  lane  of 
water  fi;radiially 
dosed  aiul  j)re- 
v(Mited  t'.  ships 
from  advancinj!;  or 
retreating  untilJuly 
7,  wlu'n  the  rejiort 
was  made  that  the 
AfcLclInn  was 
niiijH'd  in  the  ice 
and  her  crew  mak- 
inu;  read>  to  aban- 
don her.  Carpen- 
ters, under  orders 
of  Sir  Kdward  Bel- 
eli(T,  i)ut  a  i'rw  ehar»;es  of  powder  in  the  ice,  to  relieve  the 
pressure. 

Tli(>  next  day.  however,  the  McLcUan  was  nipped  harder 
than  ever  with  th(>  water  i)()urinK  itito  her  in  a  steady  stream. 
While  drifting-  uiunanajj;eal)le.  first  into  one  shi])  and  then 
into  another,  she  was  boarded  l)y  Ijurlish  whalemen  who 
proceeded  to  ransack  and  plunder  lu  r.  until,  at  the  Captain's 
re(iu(>st.   Sir   Edward    Belcher    placed   sentries  on    hoard   to 


B;i  III  niu.-.-<i,ii,  ,,/  Th,  Ilbisfnttnl  L,i,i,l,m  Xcwa. 
Aii\iii;.'.i.  .SiK    IjiUAKii    i'.i;i.(  ni;u. 


SIR   KDWARI)   lli:L(llEll's   Siji'ADliOy 


143 


provont  further  loot,  and  working  i)artios  proceeded  to  take 
inventory  of  her  store.-*,  and  remove  them  to  a  safe  <Ustanee. 
In  a  day  or  two  the  McLdlnn  hail  sunk  to  tlie  water's  edge, 
and  for  the  safety  of  the  rest  of  tlie  Heet,  a  eharj^e  or  two  of 
powder  put  lier  out  of  the  way. 

Tlie  squadron  reached  its  headquarters  at  Reecliey  Islan(' 
August  10.  Wellington  Channel  and  Barrow  Strait  were 
found  free  from  ice,  and  on  the  14th,  Sir  Edward  Belcher,  with 
the  Pioneer  and  AssisUmce,  proceeded  up  the  Channel.  The 
next  day  Captain  Kellett,  with  the  Resolute  and  Intrepid,  sailed 
in  open  water  for  Melville  Island. 

While  Sir  Eilward  Belcher's  squadron  was  making  its  ardu- 
ous passage  to  Beechey  Island,  Lady  Franklin  hatl  refitted 
the  screw-steamer  Imbcl  and  placed  it  under  Commander  In- 
glefield,  R.  X.,  with  in.structions  to  investigate  the  rumour 
brought  home  by  Sir  John  Ross  to  the  effect  that  Franklin 
and  his  crew  had  been  murdered  by  natives  at  Wolstenholme 
Sound. 

Setting  sail  from  England,  July  G.  18o2,  the  little  Imhel 
made  for  the  northern  shores  of  Baffin  Bay,  n^ached  a  higher 
latituile  up  Whale  Sound  than  any  previous  vessel,  and  later 
IKished  through  Smith  Sound  as  far  as  latitude  78°  28'  21" 
N.,  without  discovering  any  ()])]K)sing  land.  Captain 
Inglefield  discovered  that  Smith  Sound,  generally  supposed  to 
b<^  narrow,  was  at  least  thirty-six  miles  across,  expanding  con- 
siil<>rably  to  tlie  northward.  The  shore  seemed  comparatively 
free  from  snow,  and  the  rocks  ai)])eared  of  their  natural  colour. 

Ice  was  met  in  considerable  quant iti(>s,  an<l  though  Captain 
Inglefi(>ld  was  ambitious  to  steam  through,  a  fortunate  gale 
arose  which  blew  with  such  violence  that  the  Isabel  was  forced 
back,  thus  saving  her  in  all  probaliiUty  from  a  dreary  winter 
in  the  ice. 

By  the  7th  of  September,  the  Isabel  sighted  the  North  Star 
at  Beechey  Island. 


f!i 


144 


THE  GliEAT   n'lIITK  NOUTU 


"When  we  were  near  ciuuijfh  to  soo  from  our  crow's-nest 
the  mast  lieads  of  the  S'orth  Star,  I  hjul  orih-red  one  of  the 
twelve  pounders  to  he  fired,  and  the  ju-ople  wlio  were  working 
on  shore  were  greatly  jjuzzled  at  iiearing  sueli  a  sound,  as 
they  Ijelieved  that  nothing  human  hut  their  own  party  could 
be  within  hundreds  of  miles  of  them." 

(  aj)tain  Ingletield  soon  "waited  upon"  raj)tain  Pullen, 
and  the  letters  for  8ir  Edward  Belcher's  s(iuadron  hrought 
out  l)y  the  Isabel  were  placed  ujion  th(>  Xorth  Star.  A  few 
hours  later  the  Isdbii  put  off  to  sea,  cairying  letters  from 
officers  and  crew  of  the  Xurth  Star  to  relatives  and  fri(>nds  in 
England. 

By  the  12th  the  Isabel  stood  off  Mount  Possession,  by  the 
14th  Cape  Bowen,  and  here  Captain  Inglefield  landed  to 
look  for  traces  and  erect  a  cairn  ;  nothing  was  discovered  Ijut 
the  bokl  footprint  of  a  huge  bear  and  th(>  tiny  tracks  of  an 
Arctic  fox.  The  23d  found  them  in  Davis  Strait.  Here  a 
terrific  gale  was  encountered,  which  lasted  four  days  and 
"accomi)anied,"  writes  (\ii)tain  Inglefield,  "vv'ith  the  heaviest 
sea  I  had  ever  seen,  even  off  Cape  Horn.  .  .  ." 

As  soon  as  the  stor?n  abated,  they  put  for  the  nearest  port 
to  unik'rgo  ni^'essary  rei)airs,  and  by  October  2  they  ma(k'  a 
settlement  off  Flunde  Islands,  a  little  south  of  Whalefish 
Islands.  The  governor  came  on  board  to  see  what  was 
wanted,  and,  the  next  day  b(>ing  Sunday,  the  crew  were  given 
shore  leave,  and  a  general  day  of  rest  was  (>njoyed. 

On  the  r)th,  he  writes,  "I  received  a  message  from  th(>  gov- 
ernor, that  it  was  the  King  of  Denmark's  birthday,  the  Es- 
kimos would  asseml)le  at  his  house,  and  have  a  dance,  and 
the  pleasure  of  my  company  was  solicited  for  the  occasion  ; 
accordingly  at  six  o'clock  I  rejiaired  to  the  wooden  palace  of 
his  Excellency,  and  there  found,  crammed  into  a  smallish 
chamber,  as  many  Eskimos  as  could  conveniently  stand. 

"I  had  prepared  myself  with  certain  bottles  by  which 


ISilLEFlKLl) 


145 


punch  could  be  quickly  made  ;  and  several  officers  and  crew 
joining  the  party,  by  their  assistance,  each  of  the  Eskimo 
ladies  was  first  supplied  with  a  glass  full  of  the  beverage, 
and  afterward  the  gentlemen,  when  I  made  them  understand 
ihai  they  were  to  give  three  cheers  for  the  King  of  Denmark, 
which  was  done  with  a  vigour  and  goodheartedness,  that 
made  the  wooden  walls  echo  again, 

"I  had  prepared  another  treat  foi  them,  which  I  am  quite 
sure  was  to  many  the  most  agreeable  of  the  two.  My  cox- 
swain came  in  to  t(>ll  me  when  all  was  ready,  and  then  I  begged 
the  governor  would  tell  the  party  to  go  outside  where  I  had 
something  to  show  them. 

"When  all  were  assembled,  the  booming  of  one  of  our  guns, 
which  by  signal  was  fired  from  the  vessel,  not  a  little  alarmed 
some  of  the  most  timiil,  and  their  fear  was  not  much  allayed, 
when,  from  under  their  very  noses,  a  shower  of  rockets  flew 
into  mid-air,  with  a  whirl  that  startled  some  of  the  more 
ancient  sages  amongst  them,  though  when  no  damage  was 
found  to  accrue  to  any  of  the  party,  the  shouts  of  joy  over- 
powered the  noise  of  the  rockets.  The  blue  lights  and  white 
lights,  which  were  burnt  to  enliven  the  perform-uicc,  were 
objects  of  great  curiosity,  and  I  could  see  some  enquiring  faces, 
eagerly  watching  our  movements,  as  the  port-fires  were 
placed  to  ignite  them." 

"Dancing  was  afterwards  commenced,"  continues  Captain 
Inglefield,  "and  feeling  that  it  was  my  duty  to  lead  off  with 
the  gov(>rnor's  wife,  who  was  an  Eskimo,  I  begged  the  hon- 
our of  her  hand,  for  a  dance,  in  the  best  Eskimo  of  which  I 
was  mast(>r,  and  to  the  scraping  of  a  disabled  fiddle  bound 
round  with  twine  and  splints,  I  launched  into  the  mysteries 
of  an  Eskimo  quadrille,  which,  but  for  the  strenuous  exer- 
tions of  my  partner,  to  keep  me  right,  I  should  certainly  have 
set  into  utter  confusion. 

"It  was  composed  of  a  chainc  des  dnnuR  and  a  reel,  com- 


I, 


[i 


f-l 


146 


THE  (iHKAT    WHITE  \ Of! Til 


plox  to  a  wonderful  dcRroc,  and  exhausting  to  a  frightful  ex- 
t(>nt  ;  and  yet  it  ajjix-ared  to  he  the  tletenuinution  of  the  whole 
part}'  to  eontimie  at  this  one  figiu-e  till  tired  nature  .sunk. 

"Unaccustomed  to  this  kind  of  violent  exercise,  I  was  soon 
knocked  up,  and  tried,  though  unsuccessfully,  to  make  my 
escai)e  ;  hut  at  last  I  had  the  jjratification  of  observing  an 
elderly  lady  oi)i)osite  hef^inni'ij^  to  falter,  and  out  of  compli- 
ment to  her  I  presume  this  dance  was  terminated. 

"The  Eskimos  seem  to  think  it  is  impossible  to  be  too 
warm,  so  the  doors  and  windows  were  tiji;htly  closed,  and 
certain  lamjis  and  tallow  candles  (with  which  I  had  sujiplied 
his  Excellency)  soon  brouj^ht  the  temperature  up  to  blood  heat. 

"After  resting;  from  my  labour,  I  determined  to  try  their 
waltz,  which  I  found  was  not  very  unlike  ours,  being  i)cr- 
formed  somewhat  in  the  same  manner,  and  the  fair  ladies 
with  whom  1  now  alternately  figured  instructing  me  in  the 
mysteries  of  the  measure.  Some  of  my  sailors  having  ob- 
tainiHl  permission  to  attend  the  ball,  they  were  now  solicited 
to  give  a  specimen  of  their  skill,  and  accordingly  a  sailor's 
hornpipe  and  reel,  with  the  usual  heel  and  toe  accompaniment, 
met  with  great  aiiplause.  I  had  had  sufficient  fun  l)y  nine 
o'clock,  but  the  jiarty  did  not  break  up  till  after  twelve ; 
])efore  I  went  away,  however,  at  my  special  request,  some 
Eskimo  melodies  were  sung  by  the  party,  and  afterwards  a 
Danish  national  Ininn  by  the  governor.  When  the  officers 
and  men  were  returning  in  their  boat  to  the  ship  they  were 
serenaded  l)y  the  lathes  of  the  party,  who  joining  hand-in- 
hand  walk(Hl  along  the  rocks  towards  the  ship,  singing  a 
plaintive  air,  which  might  well  liave  been  taken  for  their 
evening  h>niin.  And  such  it  may  have  been,  for  these  poor 
jieople,  semi-civilized  and  instructed  as  they  have  been  by 
the  Danes,  are  full  of  fervour  and  zeal  for  their  religion, 
the  Lutheran,  and  show  more  real  moral  principle  than  any 
nation  I  ever  \isited." 


INGLFFIELD 


141 


'    U 


By  the  7th  of  October  the  Isabel  was  ready  for  sea,  Init 
encountered  terrific  f^ales.  Upon  tiie  advice  of  the  ice- 
masters,  Captain  In^lefield  detennined  to  retiu'n  to  Knji;hind 
in  sopite  of  a  strong  desire  to  winter  and  conijjlete  the  search 
of  the  west  coast  of  Haffin  Bay  V)y  sled<2;e  journeys  in  the 
spring  and  tlie  survey  of  Davis  Strait  from  (\ipe  Wtdsinsham 
south,  as  far  as  Newfoundland.  However,  a  continuance  of 
l)ad  weather  made  such  a  course  impracticahl(>,  and  by 
Novemlier  4  the /.s«/;c/ ancliored  at  Stromness  ;  by  the  lOtli 
of  November  she  made  Peterhead  by  way  of  PentUuid  Pirth. 

"Besides  pen- 
etratinji;  one  hun- 
dred   and   forty 
miles    further 
than    previous 
navigators,    and 
fincUns  an  open 
sea    stretching 
northwards , 
from   Baffin's 
Bay,  to  at  h-ast 
the    hititude    of 
80°,   Captain 
Inglefield  (hscov- 
ere(l   a   strait   in 
about    7  7  J  °  , 
which  he  name<l 
!M  u  r  c  h  i  s  o  n 
Strait, and  which 
he    supposed    to 
form  the    north- 
ern bounchiry  to  Greenhmd."    His  careful  survey  of  the  eastern 
side  of  Baffin  Bay.  from  Carey  Islands  to  Cape  Ah>xan<ler,  and 
his   approach   to   Jone.s   Sound,    all   contributed   interesting 


By  prrnihixinn  of  The  Ilhistrnlrr!  Linulon  Xeus. 
AnMiHAi.  Sir  F-dwahd  Tnui.kfif.i.i),  II.  X. 


148 


THE  CHEAT    WHITE  XOUTII 


% 


PI' 

f  ■ ; 


(lata  to  s«'f>fi:r;ii)liical  knowlrdpo,  Init  tliousli  the  nativos 
witli  wliuin  lie  met  were  carefully  intcrrof^atcd,  no  li<;ht  was 
thrown  on  the  fate  of  Sir  John  Franklin  or  his  men.  and 
tho  utter  falsity  of  the  story  told  by  Sir  John  Ross's  inter- 
i:reter  was  satisfactorily  established. 

Karly  in  the  year  ISoli,  three  exjx'ditions  were  fitted  out, 
to  assist  Sir  Kdward  Belcher's  sciuadron  already  in  the  field, 
and  to  continue  the  search  for  Sir  John  Franklin. 

The  h'ntllcsnaLr.  under  ( "onunander  Trollope,  and  tho 
/■■<(ih('l  —  ajiain  refitted  by  Lady  Franklin,  and  jnit  in  com- 
mand of  Mr.  Kennedy  —  set  out  with  instructions  to  sail  for 
Behrinji  Strait  and  carry  sui)plies  to  ( "ai)tains  Collinson  and 
]\r("lure.  Dr.  Hae  .set  out  af;ain  for  the  further  examination 
of  the  coast  of  Boothia,  and  (  ajjtain  Injilefield  was  sent  to 
Barrow  Strait  in  conuiiand  of  the  Plianix  and  Ladij  Frnnkliii, 
for  the  i)urpose  of  reenforciiifi  Sir  l^dward  B(>lcher. 

In  America  the  second  (Irinnell  ex])edition  was  fitted  out 
about  the  same  time  for  the  jnu-jiose  of  (>xplorins  the  passaj^es 
leading  out  of  Baffin  Bay  into  the  unknown  oceans  around 
tho  Pol(>,  and  was  iiiacod  under  tho  command  of  Dr.  E.  K. 
Kane,  U.  S.  X..  who  had  sailed  und<>r  Lieutenant  Do  Haven 
in  the  first  (Irimiell  (>x]M'dition. 

In  the  autumn  of  ISolJ,  the  d(>op  interest  of  tho  British 
nation  was  aroused  by  tho  return  of  Captain  Injj;lofield  of  tho 
Plupnix  with  desi)atches  from  tho  Arctic  regions,  containing 
the  news  that  tho  Northwest  Passajio  had  at  length  boon 
successfully  accomplished  by  Captain  M'Cluro  of  the  In- 
vfstig;  'or,  wlu)  had  passed  through  B(>liring  Strait  and  sailed 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  most  westerly  discoveri(>s  made  from 
the  eastern  side  of  America,  at  which  point  he  had  been  frozen 
up  for  more  than  two  years. 

Parties  from  IIh^  Inrrstigdldr  had  walked  over  the  frozen 
oc(>an  ;  and  Lieutenant  C'resswell,  th(>  bearer  of  th(>  despatches 
from  Captain  M'Cluro,  had  sailed  to  England,  by  the  Atlantic 


CAl'TAiy    M'CLUliE 


140 


Ocean,  having  thus  piiss<>(l  tliroURli  the  fur-fumnl,  mvK-li- 
.soUKl.t-Htt.T,  and.  at  \vng\K  .liscc.wn-d  Northwest  I'assa^^c'. 
It  will  be  reinenihered  that  Captains  CoUinson  and  MX  lure 
sailed  for  Behrins  Strait  in  ISoO,  throuj^h  whieh,  in  coni- 
i)any  with  the  I'lnrcr  and  llnal<l,  they  endeavoured  to  pass. 

The  //((r.s7/>»/o/-,  Captain  M'Clure,  was  last  seen  on  August 
4  ISoO,  hearinji  jrallantly  into  tlie  heart  of  the  "Polar  Paek." 
'  C-iptain  Collinson,  in  the  Enterprise,  had  eoneluded  to  winter 
at  Honskon-,  and  not  until  May,  ISol,  did  he  return  to 
Behrinfi  Strait,  which  he  succeed.Ml  in  entenns-  In  the 
meantime,  the  llmdd  had  returned  to  Knglaml,  while  the 
Plover  renuiined  some  time  at-  Port  Clarence  as  a  reserve  for 
the  vessels  to  fall  hack  U]K)n. 

On  parting  company  with  the  JlerrM  in  BehrinK  Strait  in 
July  1S.')0,  Caiitaia  M'Clure  stood  north-northwest  with  a 
fresh  breeze-.  For  several  days  the  Inresthjntor  strufvjrlcd 
with  the  ice  pack,  now  borins  through  the  masses,  or  winding 
anu,ng  tin-  hmes  of  open  water.  Ry  the  7th  of  Auf^ust  they 
had  rounded  Point  ]iarrow,at  which  point  clear  water  was  seen 
from  the  "crow's  ne.st." 

"The  wind,"  writes  M'Clure,  "almost  immediately  tailing, 
the  boats  weri'  all  maniu-d,  and  towing  commenced  amid  songs 
and  cheers,  which  contiiuied  with  unabat(>d  good  luunour 
for  six  hours,  when  this  laborious  work  was  brought  to  a  suc- 
cessful termination.     B<Mng  in  i)erfectly  clear  water  in  Smith's 
Bav    a  light  air  springing  u]),  we  worked  to  th(>  eastward. 
At 'two  v.M.  of  the  8th,  being  off  Point  Drew,  sent  Mr.  Court 
(second  mat(>)  on  shore  to  erect  a  cairn,  and  bury  a  notice  of 
our  having  passed.     Upon  landing,  we  were  met  by  three 
natives,  who  at  first  were  very  timid  ;   but  upon  exchanging 
si-nis  of  friendshi]>,  which  eonsist(Ml  of  raising  the  arms  three 
times  over  the  head,  they  approached  the  boat,  and  after  the 
,>leasant  salutation  of  rubbing  noses,  became  very  commum- 
rilivo    when,  i.v  the  assistance  of  our  valual^le  interpreter, 


'    !tJ 


I  r  I 


!■ 


h 


l.">0 


T-Z/ii-  GREAT    WHITE  NORTH 


Mr.  Micrfschinfr,  we  fouiid  the  tribe  coiisistcd  of  ten  tents 
(this  hciii}.  ili(.  only  a|)i)ro:icli  to  their  imiiil)rr,s  he  eoiil<l  ob- 
tain), tliat  they  liud  arrived  only  three  <hiys  previously,  and 
that  they  hold  eoinniunicatioii  with  a  party  inland,  wlio  trade 
with  the  Hussian  Fur  Cotnpany.  The  eveninji;  before,  they 
had  observed  us,  but  could  not  inia}>ine  what  larf^c  trees  were 
niovinji  aliout  (our  niastsj  and  all  the  tribe  had  assembled  on 
the  beach  to  look  at  tlieiu,  wii(>n  ihey  unreed  that  it  was  some- 
thing very  extraordinary,  and  left  the  three  men  who  met  the 
boat,  to  watch  !  They  also  j-ave  the  ph'asinfr  intelli>>;enc«! 
that  we  should  find  open  water  alony;  the  coast  from  about 
three  to  five  miles  distant  durinfi'  the  summer,  that  the  heavy 
ice  very  seldom  came  in,  or  never  left  the  land  farther  than 
at  present,  that  they  did  not  know  if  there  were  any  island.5 
as  they  found  it  impossil)le  to  po  in  their  kayaks,  when  in 
pursuit  of  seals,  farther  than  on(>  day's  journey  to  the  main 
ice,  and  then  the  lanes  of  water  allowed  of  their  proceeding 
three  (piarters  of  a  day  farther,  which  brought  them  to  very 
large  and  high  ice,  with  not  si)ace  enough  in  any  part  of 
it  to  allow  their  kayaks  to  enter.  The  ])robai)le  distance,  Mr. 
Miertsching  therefo'-e  estimates,  from  his  knowledge  of  the 
Eskimo  habits,  to  be  about  forty  miles  off  shore,  and, 
from  what  I  have  seen  of  the  pack,  I  am  inclined  to  think 
this  is  p(>rfectly  cornrt,  for  a  more  unbroken  mass  I  never 
witnessed." 

These  natives,  whoso  entire  lives  had  been  spent  between 
the  Copiiermine  River  and  Point  Barrow,  knew  nothing  of 
Franklin's  party,  and  it  was  therefore  concluded  by  ('a})tain 
AFC  "lure  that  the  Erchiis  and  Tirror  had  not  been  lost  on  these 
shores. 

For  the  next  four  or  five  hundred  miles  they  skirted  slowly 
the  coast,  j)art  of  tlu^  time  in  such  shallow  water  that  they 
ran  aground,  but  fortunately  without  damage  to  the  ship. 
The  narrow  lanes  opening  in  the  ice  made  it  often  necessary 


CAI'TAiy    M'CLUIiE 


i.n 


to  rotraco  thoir  course,  but  by  the  21st  of  August  thoy  had 
passed  the  moutli  of  the  Mackenzie  River,  and  made  the 

Pellv  Islands. 

Upon  reacliing  Warren  Point,  natives  were  seen  on  sliore, 
and  Captain  M'C'lun-,  desirin}^,  if  possible,  to  send  despatches 
by  theni  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  posts  on  the 
Mackenzie,  tlie  l)oats  were  ordered  out. 

It  was  found  that  these  Kskin;os  had  no  communication 
with  the  Mackenzie",  being  at  war  with  the  neighljouring  tribes, 
and  having  had  several  skinuishes  with  the  Indians  of  that 
quarter.     A  chief  of  the  tril)e  had  a  flat  brass  button  sus- 
pended from  his  ear,  and  in  explanation  of  where  he  got  it, 
he  replied:  "It  hi-d  !)een  taken  from  a  white  man,  who  had 
been  killed  by  one  of  his  tribe.     The  white  man  b(>longed  to  a 
party  which 'had  landei;  at  Point  Warren,  and  there  built  a 
house  ;    nobody  knew  how  they  came,  as  they  had  no  boat, 
but  they  went  inland.     The  man  killed  had  strayed  from  the 
party,  and  he  (the  chief)  and  his  son  had  Imried  him  upon  a 
hill  at  a  little  distance."     It  could  not  be  ascertained  just 
when   this   event   occurred,    and   though   Captain    M'Clure 
tried  to  investigate  the  matter,  only  two  very  old  wooden  huts 
were  found,  and  no  grave  of  the  white  man  was  discovered. 

Natives  w.re  constantly  encountered  a.s  the  Invedigator 
proceeded,  and  though  they  seemed  at  first  hostile  and 
disindiued  to  open  communication,  they  invariably  became 
friendly  and  gratefully  accepted  the  various  presents  bestowed 
upon  them. 

On  September  5,  Captain  M'Clure  writes  :  — 
"The  weather,  whicti  had  been  squally,  accompanied  by 
a  thick  fog  during  the  early  part  of  the  day,  cleared  towards 
noon,  when  a  large  volume  of  smoke  was  observed  about 
twelve  miles  south-west.  .  .  .  As  divers  opinions  were  in 
circulation  respecting  its  probable  caus(%  and  th(>  ice-mato 
having  positively  reported  that  from  the  crow's  nest  he  could 


I  • 


[•  ii 


1.*) 


77/ A'  CHEAT  nil  III-:  SI  urn  I 


1  i 


! 

y 


5  5 


i     I 


(listiiiKuisli  scvonil  persons  nioviiiK  ;il)()nt,  (In-sscd  in  white 
.shirts,  and  observed  some  white  tents  in  the  hollow  (»f  the 
(•HIT,  I  certainly  hail  every  reason  to  imagine  they  were  a  i)artv 
(»f  Kuropeaiis  in  distress,  convinced  that  no  travellers  would 
remain  for  so  lony;  a  period  as  we  had  remarked  the  smoke.    For 
their  pleasure,  therefore,  to  satisfy  myself,  e(iually  as  others, 
I  determined  to  send  a  lioaf  on  shore,  as  it  was  now  calm. 
The  first  whate-hoat,  under  Lieutenant  ( 'resswell,  with  Dr. 
Armstronff,  and  Mr.  .Miertschin;,',  was  despatched  to  examino 
into  the  cause,  who.  on  their  return,  reported  the  s/noke  to 
emanate  from  fifteen  small  mounds  of  volcanic  appearance, 
occupying  a  space  of  about  fifty  yards,  the  place  strongly 
imprejrnated   with   suli)hur,   the   lower  mounds   being  about 
thirty  feet  above  the  seadevel,  the  highest   al)out   fifty  feet. 
The  land  in  its  vicinity  was  blue  clay,  nuich  intersected  with 
ravines  and  (let>p  water-courses,  varying   in    elevation  froi.i 
three  hundred  to  five  hundred  feet.     The  mark  of  a  reindeer 
was  traced  to  a  small  pond  of  water  immediately  above  the 
mounds.     Notice  of  our  having  landed  was  left,  which  would 
not   long  remain,  as  the  cliff  is  evidently  crumbling  away. 
Thus  the  mystery  of  the  white  shirts  and  tents  was  most 
satisfactorily  explained." 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  0th  of  September  they  were 
off  the  small  islands  near  Cape  Parry  ;  on  the  same  day  high 
land  was  observed  on  the  jjort  bow.  Up  to  this  time  they 
had  be(>n  sailing  along  a  shor(>  which  had  been  surveyed  by 
Franklin,  Back,  Dea.sc,  Simpson,  and  others,  although  theirs 
was  the  first  Mp  that  had  sailed  in  these  waters. 

The  discovery  of  new  territory  was  therefore  joyfully  re- 
ceived, and,  landing  in  the  whale-boat  and  cuttcT,  formal 
possession  was  taken  in  the  name  of  "Her  Most  Graciou.s 
Majesty"  and  the  name  "Baring's  Island"  bestowed  upon  it 
in  honour  of  the  first  lord  of  the  Admiralty.  After  depositing 
a  record,  they  returned  to  the  sluii  au<l  sailed  along  the  eusleru 


CAI'TAIS  M  (  LUliE 


ir)3 


coast,  as  it  was  moro  free  of  ici-  than  thai  on  the  west.  Later 
it  was  found  tliat  the  island  was  one  whose  extreme  nortli- 
eastern  shore  had  been  faintly  seen  by  Parry  in  1.S20  and  ^iven 
by  him  the  name  of  "Banks'  Land." 

"We  observed,"  writes  Captain  M'Clure.  "numerous 
traces  of  nnndeer,  hare,  and  wild-fowl  ;  moss  ami  divers 
sjM'cies  of  wild-flowers  were  also  in  jj;n>at  abundance  ;  many 
siH'cimens  of  them,  (Hiualiy  as  of  the  object  of  interest  to  the 
naturalist,  were  selected  with  much  care  by  Dr.  .\rmstrony;. 
From  an  elevation  obtainctl  of  aliout  five  hundred  feet,  we 
had  a  fine  view  towards  the  interior,  which  was  well  clothed 
with  moss,  }j;ivin;«;  a  verdant  api)earance  to  the  ranj^es  of  hills 
that  rose  gradually  to  between  two  thousand  and  three  thou- 
sand feet,  intersected  wth  ravines,  which  must  convey  a  co- 
l)ious  supply  of  water  to  a  large  lake  situated  in  the  centre 
of  a  \\'idc  plain,  about  fifteen  miles  distant  ;  the  sight  to  sea- 
ward was  favourable  in  the  extreme  :  open  water,  with  a  very 
small  quantity  of  ice,  for  the  distance  of  full  forty  miles 
towards  the  east,  insured  good  pn  s  in  that  (Hrection. 
The  weather  becoming  foggy,  our  lea(  as  the  only  guide  un- 
til ten  A.M.  of  the  9th  ;  it  then  cleared  lor  a  short  time,  when 
land  was  observed  to  the  eastward,  al)out  fiftecm  miles  distant, 
extending  to  the  northward  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

"  The  mountains  in  the  interior  are  lofty  and  snow-rovered, 
while  the  low  ground  is  ((uite  free.  Several  very  remark- 
able peaks  were  discernible,  apparently  of  volcanic  origin. 
This  discovery  was  named  Prince  Albert's  Land.  The  wind 
becoming  fair,  and  tlie  weather  clearing,  all  the  studcUng  sails 
were  set,  with  the  hope  of  reaching  Barrow's  Strait,  from 
which  we  were  now  distant  about  sev(>nty  miles.  The  water 
was  tolerably  clear  in  that  (Hrection.  alth<mgh  much  ice  was 
lying  against  the  western  land  ;  .  .  .  much  loose  ice  was  also 
in  moti(m,  and  while  endeavoring  to  run  between  two  floes, 
at  the  rate  of  four  kuuts,  t!u-y  closed  so  rapi<lly,  one  upon 


I« : 


i:.4 


TIIK  C  It  EAT    Will  It:  SOUTH 


w. 


I' 

'1' 


Mi 


citluT  hcum,  tluit  our  way  \va<  instantly  st()p|M'<l,  and  tlir  vrs- 
M'l  lilted  con.Mdc'jil.ly  ;  in  tliis  ixoiiion  wv  uvn-  retained  ii 
(lUarterolan  ln.iir.  when  ''le  |)ressure  ea>ed.  ami  we  jjroeeeded. 
Our  a.lvanee  was  of  -liort  duration,  as  at  two  p.m.  the  wind 
suddenly  >hifted  to  th.-  northeast,  and  Ix'^an  t(.  freshen  ;  the 
water,  which  a  few  hour>  previous  had  excited  sanguine  hopes 
of  a  p>od  run,  heeame  soon  >o  thickly  studded  with  floes, 
that  about  four  i-.m.  there  was  scarcely  .sullicient  to  keep  the 
ship  freed  ;  this  hy  much  e.\erti(»n  u;is  however  effected  until 
two  A.M.  of  the  1  Ith,  when  we  were  heset." 

From  now  on,  hatlliny;  winds  and  inipenelrahle  tloes  made 
projiTcss  almost  impossihie.  The  total  destruction  of  the 
Innsli,l>ilnr  was  (hiily  threatened  hy  the  rushes  of  ice  that 
a.ssailed  them  in  the  narrow  strn  •  alonj?  which  they  were 
cndeavourinjj;  to  proceed. 

On  the  17th  of  .S'ptemher,  "There  were  several  heavy  (Iim-s 
in  the  vicinity;  one,  full  six  miles  in  leuf-th,  j)assed  at  the 
rat<'  of  two  knots,  crushini;  everything  that  impe(l(>d  its  prog- 
ress, and  j^razed  our  starboard  how.  Fortunately,  there 
was  hut  youii^^  ice  ui)on  the  opposite  side,  which  yielded  to 
the  pressure  ;  had  it  otherwise  occiuTcd,  the  vessel  must 
inevitably  have  been  cut  asunder.  In  the  afternoon,  we  se- 
cured to  a  moderately  sized  i)iece,  drawing  ei^ht  fathoms, 
which  appeared  to  offer  a  fair  refuse,  and  from  which  we  never 
afterwards  parted." 

The  smallest  pools  now  became  covered  with  ice;  the  last 
Arctic  bird  to  take  flij-ht  was  th<"  eider-duck,  which  turn(Ml 
south  by  the  2;]d.  By  the  27th  of  Sei)teml)or  the  thermom- 
eter stood  iit  zero,  and  every  preparation  was  being  made 
to  house  the  ship  for  the  winter.  The  ice  was  in  constant 
and  violent  motion.  "The  crushing,  creaking,  and  straining," 
writes  fajitain  MY 'hire,  "is  beyond  description  ;  the  officer 
of  the  watch,  when  speaking  to  me,  is  obliged  to  put  his  mouth 
close  to  my  ear,  on  uccuuiit  of  the  doufenhig  nuise." 


CAPTMS   Ml- LI  HE 


V 


JO 


riiiifjiiiy;  with  the  "  t  •micity  of  :i  l)os(mi-fncn<r' to  the  icc- 
llof  to  wliicli  llifV  were  ^"^•U^•^1,  '•it  coUVfyrtl   ii>."  coMtiimts 

M'Cliin-,  "to  our  lartlicst   northctist   iMwition,  Lititinlc  7;{° 
7'  north,  loii^itu  Ic   117"   10'  west,  Iwk  roiiii.l  tli.-  IVinrcss 
Hoyiil  Islands,  passed  the  hir^cst  witliiii  five  hundred  yards 
to  hilitude  72^  12'  north,  lonjiitude  lis"   12'  west,  returning 
alonn  tlM'  coast  of  I'rinee  All-ert's  Land,  and  fiiialiy  freezing 
in  at  latituih'  72"  oO'  north,  h)n;;itude  117"  .V»'  west,  upon  tlie 
aoth    of    September,    (hiring    whieh    cireunmavi^Mition    wo 
reeeived  many  severe  nips,  and  were  fre(|uently  (h'iven  close 
to  the  shore,  from  which  our  deep  friend  kept   us  olY.     To 
uvoid  separation,  we  had  secund  with  two    stream-cables, 
onn  chain,  two  six,  and  two  five  hawsers.     As  our  exi)osed 
])osition  rendered  every  i)recaution  necessary,  we  \io\   n]nm 
deck  twelve  months'  provisions,  with  tents,  warm  clothinji, 
etc.,  -ind  issued  to  eacli  person  a  pair  of  carpet-boots  and  a 
blan.-     -l):ifi;,  •'^t)  that  in  the  event  of  any  emergency  renfU'rinK 
it  imp(Tative  to  (piit  the  vessel,  we  nii-Aht  not  l)e  destitute. 
On  the  8th  of  October,  our  perplexities  terminat<'d  with  a  nip 
that  lifted  tlie  vessel  a  foot,  :md  he(  le<l  her  1°  to  port,  in  con- 
scfiuence  of  a  \iir<ro  tongue  Kcttinp;  beneath  her,  in  which  posi- 
tion we  (piietly  remained."     Here  the  lnvixli(j(iU>r  passed  the 
winter  of  IS.'iO-bSol,  during  which  .season  a  journey  was  made 
over  th(>  ice  to  the  shores  of  Barrow  Strait,  which  they  found 
connected  with  the  strait  in  which  they  wintered,  thus  estab- 
lishing the  fact  of  a  northwest  passaj^e. 

The  journey  undertaken  on  the  morninp;  of  October  21, 
ISoO,  came  near  proving  fatal  to  Captain  MX  "lure.  On  the 
return  trip  a  week  later  about  2  p.m.  one  uft<"rnoon,  having 
seen  the  Princess  Royal  Isles  and  knowing  th(>  i)ositi(jn  of  the 
ship,  he  decided  to  leave  his  sledge  and  push  ahead,  that  a 
warm  meal  might  b(>  made  ready  for  the  rest  of  the  party 
upon  their  arrival  at  the  ship.  Night  overtook  him  when 
still  at  least  .six  miles  from  the  ve»el,  and  a  dense  mist,  ac- 
companied by  heavy  snow,  obscured  every  object. 


f  I . 


i:)t; 


TJN-:  CHEAT    WIIITK  yoUTlI 


if 

V 
H 


I       I 


"I  now,"  writes  M"('lur('.  "climhcd  on  ;i  mass  of  sciuoozod- 
up  ice,  in  tlic  liopc  of  sccin,!;-  my  j)arty,  sliould  they  pass  lu  ar, 
or  of  attracting;  the  attention  of  some  one  on  hoard  the  v<'ssel 
l)y  fiiinji  my  fowlinti-piece.  rnfortunately,  I  liad  no  other 
annnunition  than  wliat  it  was  loaded  with  :  for  I  had  fancied, 
when  I  left  the  slediie.  that  two  charges  in  the  <iun  would  he 
all  I  sliould  he  likely  lo  re(|uiie.  After  waitinji  for  an  hour 
patiently.  I  was  rejoiced  to  see  through  the  mist  the  <ilarin<i  of 
a  hlue  li.uht,  evidently  i)urnt  in  the  direction  in  which  1  had 
left  the  slediie.  I  inmiediately  fired  to  denote  my  ))()sition  ; 
hut  my  fire  was  unoiiserved,  and.  hoth  harn^ls  hein^j;  dis- 
char-ied.  I  was  unalile  to  repeat  the  siiiual.  My  only  h()])e 
now  reste(l  uj)on  the  >hip's  answerin<i-.  hut  nothini;  was  to  be 
seen  ;  and.  although  I  once  more  saw,  at  a  greater  distance, 
the  .lilare  of  another  lilue  lijiht  from  the  sledge,  there  seemed 
no  ])roI)ahiIity  of  my  havinj;;  any  other  shelter  for  the  night 
than  what  the  floe  afforde(!.  Two  hours  elapsed;  I  endeav- 
ored to  see  the  face  of  my  pocket  compass  hy  the  lio;ht  of  a 
solitary  lucifer  match,  which  hai)pened  to  he  in  my  pocket  ; 
hut  in  this  hope  1  was  cruelly  disa))i)ointed,  hy  it  lizzed  and 
went  otit,  leaving;  me  in  total  darkness.  It  was  now  half-past 
ei^lit  :  there  were  eleven  hours  of  ni-iht  hefore  me.  a  tempera- 
ture of  l.V  helow  zen».  lu'ars  ])rowlinji-  aliout.  and  I  with  an 
unloaded  <>;un  in  my  hands.  The  >ledy;e-party  mij>ht,  how- 
ever, reach  the  <hip.  and,  finding  I  had  not  arrived,  search 
would  I)e  made,  and  hel])  he  sent  :  so  I  walked  to  and  fro  upon 
my  humjuock  until,  I  sui)pose,  it  must  have  lu'cn  eleven 
o'clock,  when  that  hope  fle<|  likewise.  Descending  from  the 
toj)  of  the  slal)  of  ice  n])on  which  I  had  clambered,  I  found  un- 
der its  lee  a  famous  bed  of  soft,  dry  snow;  and  thoroughly 
tired  out.  I  threw  myself  ui)on  it  and  slept  for  perhaps  three 
hours,  when,  upon  o])ening  my  eyes.  I  fancied  I  saw  the  flash 
of  ;i  rocket.  Jumiiing  upon  my  feet.  I  h)Und  that  the  mist 
had  cleared  ofT,  .'itKl  tlia.t  the  stars  and  aurora  Ijorealis  were 


Dl.SVOVKHV   OF  THE  yuUrilWEST  I'ASSAi^E  1")7 


shinins  in  all  the  siilondor  of  an  Arctic  night .  Althoush  unal)lo 
to  sec  the  islanils  or  the  ship,  1  wandereil  altout  tlie  ice  in 
different  directions  until  daylijiht,  when,  to  my  jjreat  morti- 
fication, I  fouml  I  had  passed  the  ship  fully  the  distance  of 
four  miles." 

Sledge  journeys  along  the  shores  of  Raring  Island  and  Prince 
Albert  Land  were  undertaken,  hut  no  trace  of  Franklin  or 
his  party  was  discov»<red.  Traces  of  Eskimos  were  found, 
l)ut  only  one  ])arty  met  with  ;  howevt^r,  (U>er,  musk-oxen,  and 
l)ears  were  oncounten-d.  A  bear  was  killed,  and,  when  oi)ened, 
its  stomach  was  found  to  contain  raisins,  tobacco,  ptifk,  and 
adhesive  plaster!  This  extraordinary  medley  led  Cajitain 
M'Clure  to  the  conclusion  that  the  KnUr prist  was  in  the  vicin- 
ity, and  a  diligent  search  was  instituted,  but  the  only  result 
was  the  discovery  of  a  preserved  meat  canister,  which  con- 
tained similar  articles,  jirobably  the  same  from  which  the 
bear  had  obtauied  his  unusual  meal.  By  the  13th  of  .lune, 
I80I,  all  the  sledge  parties  having  returned  in  safety  to  the 
ship,  everything  was  made  ready  to  set  sail  the  moment  the 
huge  barriers  of  ice  should  permit. 

"The  first  imUcation  of  oi)en  water,"  writes  C'.  )tain 
M'Clure,  "occurred  to-day  (July  7th)  (extending  some  dis- 
tance along  the  shore  of  Prince  Albert's  Land,  about  a  mile 
in  width  ;  the  ice  in  every  direction  is  so  rapidly  decaying, 
being  much  accelerated  by  sleet  and  rain,  with  the  thermoni- 
eter"stan(Ung  at  45°,  that,  l)y  the  14lh,  that  wliich  for  tin- 
last  few  dtu's  had  been  slightly  in  motion,  with  large  si)aces 
of  water  intervening,  suddenly  and  nois(>lessly  opened  around 
the  vessel,  leaving  her  in  a  pond  of  forty  yanls  :  but  seeing 
no  possibility  of  getting  without  its  limits,  we  were  compelled 
to  secure  to  the  floe  which  had  for  t«>n  months  befriended  us, 
and,  with  the  whole  of  the  pack,  gradually  driftcnl  to  the 
southward,  toward  the  Princess  Royal  Islands,  which  we 
p^^.:p,!  oji  tl'.e  eastern  side  within  half  a  mile. 


158 


rilE  CHEAT    WHITE  ^OUTIl 


Hi 'I 


(I 

i 

N 


"  I'lKm  tlic  17th,  at  10  a.m.,  bciiif:;  umonj!;  loose  ico,  we  cast 
ofi"  from  tlic  floe  and  made  sail,  with  the  hope  of  scttiiij;;  upon 
thi'  \V('.><t('ni  shore  wiiere  the  watei'  ipjjeared  to  he  niakinj:;, 
))Ut  without  shi])piii^-  the  rudder,  in  eoiise(|ueiu'e  of  being 
ill  the  vi<'iuily  oi  several  l;ii'u;e  Hoes,  and  at  2  I'.M.  afi,ain 
seciUH'd  to  a  Hoe  between  the  Princess  Hoyal  and  Baring 
ishinds  (we  passed  over  a  shoal  liavint;  nineteen  fathoms). 
On  the  2()th,  at  ludf-past  eleven  a.m..  a  lif;Iit  air  s])ran,n-  iij) 
from  the  southwest,  which,  slackinji'  the  ice,  fi;ave  hopes  of 
makinff  j)rof^ress  to  the  nt)rtheast,  in  which  direction  I  wa.s 
anxious  to  {j;et  for  the  ])ur])ose  of  enterinj;-  liarrow  Strait, 
that,  accordin<i  to  eircuinstances,  1  mijiht  be  enabled  to 
carry  out  my  ori<iinal  intentions  of  ])rocee(un}i-  to  th(>  north- 
ward of  Melville  inland,  as  detailed  in  my  letter  to  the  sec- 
retary of  the  Admiralty,  of  July  20.  1S.")() ;  or,  should  >uch 
not  be  practicable,  return  to  Knjiland  throujih  the  strait. 
After  most  ))erseverin<i  efforts  to  penetrate  into  Karrow 
Strait,  ("a]itain  MX  "lure  was  obli<i:ed  to  abandon  t!ic  attempt. 
On  the  Kith  of  August  he  d.etennineil  to  coast  round  the 
western  shores  of  the  i>land  and  make  the  jjassajic,  if  po.ssible, 
to  the  northward  of  Pianks  Land. 

"At  4  P.M.  on  the  ISth,"  he  writes.  "!)einu;  off  a  very  low 
^)\X  of  sand  (Point  Kellet )  which  extended  to  the  westward 
for  about  twelve  miles,  in  the  form  of  a  horseshoe,  hav- 
inji  a  seaside  thickly  studded  with  firounded  ice,  while  the 
interior  was  exinnjit  from  nny,  I  sent  Mr.  Court  (s(>cond 
master)  to  examine  it,  who  reported  an  excellent  and  connno- 
dious  harbour,  well  .^helterefl  from  north-west  to  south,  carry- 
ins  hve  fathoms  within  ten  yards  of  the  beach,  which  was 
shinule,  and  covered  with  driftwood.  A  set  of  sights  was 
oi)tained.  and  a  cask,  containinii  a  notice,  was  left  there. 
rp«"i  'Ik'  mornins  of  tlie  lOth,  we  left  this  low  coast,  and 
])M--sed  between  two  small  ishnids  lyinjv  at  the  entrance  of 
wi!;'!    :iU!!!;in(!   ;t   dfcp   inlet,    j-imning-  cast-south-oai-t,   and 


DlSCOVKItY   OF  THE  yOliTUWEsT  PASSAGE 


loD 


then  turnins  sharp  to  north-oast.     It  had  a  barrier  of  ice 
cxtoiuUii^-    acrot^s,    which    jirevcntcd    any    coniniuiiication. 
Wishing  to  kccj)  between  the  northernmost  of  these  isUinds  and 
the  niainhmd,  to  avoid  the  pack,  which  was  very  near  it,  we 
narrowly  escaped  {getting  on  shon>,  as  a  reef  extended  from 
the  hitter  to  within  lialf  a  mile  of  the  isla    1.     Fortunately, 
the  wind  being  light,  we  rounded  to  witii  all  the  studding- 
sails  set,  and  let  go  the  anchor  in  two  and  a  half  fathoms, 
having  about  four  inches  to  .-pare  under  the  keel,  and  warped 
into  four,  while  Mr.  Court  was  sent  to  find  a  channel  in  which 
he  succeeded,  carrying  three  fathoms,  through  which  we  ran 
for  one  mile,  and  then  continued  our  course  in  eight,  having 
from  three  to  five  miles  between  the  ice   and  land.     At   8 
P.M.,  we  neared  two  other  islands,  the  ice  resting  upon  the 
westernmost,  upon  which  the  pressure  must  have  been  ex- 
cessive, as  large  masses  were  forced  nearly  over  its  summit, 
which  was  upwards  of  forty  fe(>t.     Between  these  and  the 
main  W(>  ran  through  a  channel  in  from  nine  to  fiftetmi  fathoms, 
wh(>n  an  innn(>(liate  and  marked  change  took  place  in  the 
general  appearance  and  foimation  of  th(>  land  :    it  l)ecame 
high,  precipitous,  sterile,  and  rugged  ;    intersected  with  deep 
ravines  and  watcT  courses,  having  six-five  fathoms  at  a  quarter 
of  a  mile,  and  fifteen  fathoms  mw  hundred  yards  from  the 
cliffs,  which  proved  exce(>dingly  fortunate  as  the  whole  pack, 
which  had  ajipareutly  only  just  broken  from  the  shore,  was 
within  half  a  mile,  and,  in  many  places,  so  close  to  it,  that  to 
avoid  getting  beset,  we  had  nearly  to  touch  the  land  ;  indeed, 
upon  several  occasions,  the  boats  were  comnelled  to  be  topped- 
up,  and  poles  used  to  kec])  the  vessel  off  the  grounded  ice; 
which  extends  all  along  this  coast  :    nor  could  we  round  to, 
fearful   of   carrying   the   jib-boom   away   against   the   cliffs, 
which  here  run  nearly  east  and  west.     The  cape  forming  its 
western  extreme  I  have  called  Prince  .Mfred,  in  honour  v,f 
his  Royal  Highness.     On  the  morning  of  the  20th,  our  fur 


% 


* 


! 


i    i 


I*: 


rr 


t 


IGO 


Tin-:  GliKAr  WHITE  your II 


ther  profircss  was  iniixHlod  by  findin};;  the  \vv  rostins  upon 
a  ))()iiit,  which  loniii'd  a  sMjiht  indentation  of  shore,  and  was 
the  only  phice  where  water  couhl  l)e  seen.  To  prevent  heinj; 
carried  away  with  the  j)ack,  which  was  filUn^  up  its  space, 
we  secured  to  the  inshore  si(h'  of  a  small  hut  heavy  i)iece  of 
ice,  uroundcHl  in  twelve  fathoms  sevent\'-four  yards  from 
the  beach  -  the  only  protection  ajiainst  the  tremendous 
Polar  ice  (setting  a  knot  per  hour  to  the  eastward  before  a 
fresh  westerly  wind),  which  at  9  p.m.  placed  us  in  a  very 
critical  jiosition,  by  a  larjj;e  floe  striking  the  jMece  we  were 
fast  to,  and  causing-  it  to  oscillate  so  considerably,  that  a 
tonjiue  which  happened  to  l)e  under  our  bottom,  lifte<l  the 
vessel  six  feet  ;  but,  by  fireat  attention  to  the  anchors  and 
wari)s,  we  succeed(>(l  in  lioldiiifj;  on  during  the  conflict,  which 
was  continued  several  minut(>s,  terminating  by  the  floe 
biinji;  rent  in  pieces,  and  our  being  driven  nearer  ii  beach. 
From  this  until  the  29th,  we  lay  perfectly  secure,  but  at 
8  A.M.  of  that  day,  the  ice  began  suddenly  to  move,  when  a 
large  floe,  that  nmst  haw  caught  the  piece  to  which  we  were 
attached  under  one  of  its  overhanging  ledges,  raised  it  jkm'- 
pendicular  by  thirty  fe<'t,  |)resenting  to  all  on  board  a  most 
frightful  aspect.  .\s  it  ascended  al)ove  th(>  foreyard,  much 
apiirehension  was  felt,  that  it  might  be  thrown  comjiletely 
ov(>r,  when  the  ship  must  have  be(>n  crushed  Ix^neath  it. 
This  suspense  was  but  for  a  fe^ ;  miiuites,  as  the  floe  rent,  carry- 
ing away  with  it  a  large  ])iece  from  the  foundation  of  our 
asylum,  when  it  gave  .several  fearful  rolls,  and  resumed  its 
former  position  ;  but,  no  longer  capable  of  resisting  the 
pressure,  it  was  hurried  onward  with  the  drifting  mass.  Our 
proximity  to  the  shore  comjielled,  as  our  only  hopes  of  safety, 
the  absolute  necessity  of  holding  to  it  ;  we  consequently 
secured  with  a  chain,  stream  and  hem]i  cable,  three,  .six, 
and  two  fiv(>-inch  hawsers,  three  of  which  were  pas.sed  round 
it.     In  tlii.s  .stat(-  W(-  were  forcc-d  along,  sinking  large  pieces 


LISCOVEIiY  OF  THE  y01tTlI]VEST  PASSAGE         101 

beneath  the  bottom,  and  sustaining  a  heavy  strain  against 
the  stern  and  rudder  ;  the  hitter  was  much  damaged,  but 
to  unsliii)  it  at  jjreseut  was  impossible.  At  1  p.m.,  the 
pressure  eased,  from  the  ice  becoming  stationary,  wlien  it 
was  unhung  and  hiid  upon  a  hirge  Hoe  piece,  where,  by  8  i'..M., 
owing  to  the  activity  of  Mr.  Ford,  the  carpenter,  who  is 
always  ready  to  meet  any  emerg{>ncy,  it  was  repaired,  just  as 
tlie  ice  b(>gan  again  to  be  in  motion  ;  but  as  the  tackles 
were  hooked,  it  was  run  up  to  the  davits  without  further 
damage."  Continuing  his  exciting  narrative,  Captain  M'Clure 
writes  :  — 

"We  were  now  setting  fast  upon  another  large  piece  of  a 
broken    floe,    ground<<l    in    nine    fathoms    upon    th(>    debris 
formed  at   the  mouth  of  a  large   river.     Feeling  confident 
that,  should  we  be  caught  between  this  and  what  we  were 
fast  to,  the  ship  nmst  inevitably  go  to  piec(>s,  and  yet  being 
aware  that  to  cast  off  would  certainly  send  us  on  the  beach 
(from  which  we  were  never  distant  eighty  yards),  upon  which 
the  smalhT  ice  was  hurled  as  it  came  in  contact  with  tliese 
grounded  masses,  I  sent  John  K(>rr  igimner's  mate)  under 
very  difficult  circiunstances,  to  endeavor  to  reach  it  and  effect 
its  destruction  by  blasting;    he  could  not,  however,  fiml  a 
sufficient  space  of  water  to  sink  the  charge,  but  remarking 
a   large  cavity  upon  the  sea  face  of  the  floe,  he  fixed  it  there, 
which  so  far  succeeded,  that  it  slightly  fractured  it  in  three 
places,  winch,  at  th.    moment  was  scan-ely  observable,  from 
the   heavy   pn>ssure   it    was  sustaining.     By   this   time,    the 
vessel  was  within  a  few  feet  of  it,  anil  every  one  was  on  deck 
in  anxious  suspense,  awaiting  what  was  ai^piirently  th(>  crisis 
of  our  fate  ;   most  fortunat(>ly,  the  stern  post  took  it  so  fairly, 
that  the  pressure  was  fore  and  aft,  bringing  ttie  whole  strength 
of  the  ship  to  b(>ar,  a  heavy  grind,  which  shook  every  mast, 
and  caused  beams  and  decks  to  complain,  as  she  trembl(>d  to 
the  violence  of  the  shock,  plainly  indic.-'ted  that  the  struggle 

M 


\&2 


TUE  GREAT    W/IITE   SOUTH 


:-  I 


N 


would  1)0  l)Vit  of  short  duration.  At  this  moment,  the  stroam- 
('at)l('  was  carried  away,  and  several  anchors  drew  ;  thinkiiiji; 
that  we  had  now  suthciently  risked  the  vessel,  orders  were 
given  to  let  go  the  warj)s,  and  with  that  order  I  had  made 
up  my  mind  that  in  a  lew  minutes  she  would  he  on  the 
beach  ;  i)Ut,  as  it  was  sloping,  conceived  she  might  still 
pntve  an  asylum  for  the  winter,  and  jJossiMy  he  again  got 
afloat  ;  while,  should  she  he  crushed  between  these  large 
grounded  pieces,  sh(>  must  inevitably  go  down  in  ten  fathoms, 
which  would  be  certain  destruction  to  all  :  but  before  the 
orders  could  hv  obeyed,  a  merciful  Providence  inter])osed, 
causing  the  ice,  which  had  previously  weakeniul,  to  separate 
into  three  jiieces,  and  it  floated  onward  with  the  mass,  our 
stern  still  tightly  jannned  against,  but  now  ])rotected  by  it. 
The  vessel,  which  had  been  thrown  over  fifteen  degrees,  and 
risen  bodily  one  foot  eight  inches,  now  righted  and  settled  in 
the  water  ;  the  only  damage  sustained  was  several  sheets  of 
copper  ripp(Ml  off  and  rolled  up  like  a  sheet  of  paper,  but  not 
a  fastening  had  given  way,  nor  does  any  leakage  indicate  the 
slightest  defect.  By  midnight,  the  ice  was  stationary,  and 
everything  quiet,  which  continued  until  the  10th  of  Septem- 
ber ;  indeed,  from  the  temiieratm-e  having  fallen  to  sixteen 
degrees,  with  all  appearance  of  the  setting  in  of  the  wint(>r, 
I  considered  our  farther  progress  sto])ped  until  next  y(^ar." 

Until  the  (>nd  of  September,  their  course  was  one  un- 
varying scene  of  battling  against  difficulties  similar  to  those 
just  described.  Having  reached  the  western  extremity  of 
Banks  Land,  "I  determined,"  writes  Captain  M'Clure, 
"to  make  this  our  winter  ((uarters,  and,  having  remarked 
upon  the  south  side  of  the  bank  on  which  we  had  groimded, 
a  well-protected  bay,  INIr.  Court  was  despatched  to  sound 
it  ;  anil,  .shortly  making  the  signal  there  was  sufficient  water, 
we  bore  \x\),  and  at  forty-five  minutes  past  7  a..m.  we 
anchored  in  four  and  a  half  fathoms,  and  that  night  were 


JJISCOVEUY  OF  THE  yuRTlIWESJ    I'ASSAdE         lti3 


firmly  frozen  in,  in  what  has  since  proved  a  most  safe  ind 
oxccllcnt  harl)()r,  wiiicli,  in  t^rateful  rcmcmijranoe  of  tiu- 
many  perils  tliat  we  had  escaped  tlurins  the  passage  of  tiiat 
terrii)le  Polar  Sea,  we  have  named  the  'Hay  of  Mercy'  ;  thus 
finally  terminating  this  short  season's  operations,  havnig 
been  actually  only  five  entire  days  under  way."  From  now 
on  every  prei)ari.tion  was  made  to  spend  the  winter  as  com- 
fortablv  as  conditions  would  admit." 

"As  there  appeared  much  game  in  the  vicinity,"  writes 
Captain  MX 'lure,  "and  the  weather  continued  mild,  .^hoot- 
ing parties  were  ostal.lislied  in  different  directions  between 
the  9th  and  2:^d  of  October;  .so  that,  with  what  was  killed 
from  the  ship,  our  .  ui)ply  of  fresh  provisions  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  winter  consisted  of  nine  deer,  fifty-three  hares, 
and  forty-four  ptarmigan,  all  in  fin(>  condition,  the  former 
having  from  two  to  three  inches  of  fat." 

"In  consequence  of  our  favored  position,"  he  continues, 
"the  crew  were  enabled  to  ramble  over  the  hills  almost  daily 
in  ciuest  of  game,  and  their  exertions  liappily  supplied  a 
fresh  meal  of  venison  three  times  a  fortnight,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  about  three  weeks  in  January,  when  it  was  too  dark 
for  shooting.  The  small  game,  such  as  ptarmigan  and  hares, 
being  scarce,  were  allowed  to  be  retained  by  the  sportsmen 
as  private  property.  This  healthy  and  exhilarating  exercise 
kept  us  all  well  and  in  excellent  spirits  during  another  te- 
dious winter,  so  that  on  the  1st  of  April  we  had  upwards  of 
a  thousand  pounds  of  venison  hanging  at  the  yard-arms." 

The  exciting  experience  of  Sergeant  Woon,  a  marine, 
while  out  hunting,  is  interesting.  While  pursuing  a  wounded 
deer,  he  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  met  a  couple  of  musk- 
bulls,  which  he  succeeded  in  wounding.  Infuriated  \\-ith 
pain,  one  of  the  musk-oxen  rushed  towards  him.  Having 
expended  his  shot,  tlie  sergeant  fired  his  "worm"  at  tlie 
animal,  but,  this  having  hitle  or  no  effect,  the  bull,  though 


U' 


I-. 


I  \ 


II 


i(;4 


TIIK  allKAT    WIIITK  SOIITU 


wciikonod  from  tho  loss  of  blood,  when  within  six  foot,  put 
his  head  to  tho  f^round  as  if  for  a  final  rush.  With  (juick 
action  tlio  sor^oant  finnl  his  iron  ramrod,  whioh,  entering 
behind  the  animal's  left  shoulder,  j)assed  through  tho  heart 
and  out  at  the  ri}>;ht  flank,  droppinjf  him  lif(>less. 

On  another  oeoasion,  the  iiresenee  of  mind  of  Sorpoant 
Woon  saved  the  life  of  a  companion,  a  coloured  man  and 
memlxT  of  tho  crew.  It  was  in  January  and  bitterly  cold; 
the  coloured  man  had  boon  out  hunting  and  lost  his  way. 
He  l)ea;an  to  fancy  himself  frozen  to  death,  and  from  sheer 
terror  lost  his  wits.  The  serj^eant  met  him,  but  could  not 
induce  the  poor  fellow  to  follow  him.  The  coloured  man 
stood  ilazed  and  shivering,  and  finally  fell  in  a  fit.  Waiting 
until  h(>  was  somewhat  revived,  the  sergeant  either  carried 
or  rolled  him  down  hills  or  hummocks  for  ten  long  hours, 
until  he  got  him  within  a  mile  of  tho  shij).  The  sergeant 
was  by  th'.s  time  thoroughly-  exhausted  and  tried  to  persuad(! 
tho  negro  to  walk,  but  tho  poor  demented  creature  only 
begged  to  bo  'Met  alone  to  die."  Being  unable  to  persuade 
him,  tho  only  thing  left  was  to  place  him  in  a  bod  of  deep 
snow,  and  then,  with  all  his  remaining  strength,  the  sergeant 
hastened  to  tho  ship  for  assistance.  Returning  as  .s(  iin  as 
possil)le  to  tho  spot  where  the  poor  negro  had  boon  left,  tb.oy 
found  him  with  his  arms  stiff  and  raised  abov(>  his  head,  his 
(>vos  ojM'n,  and  his  mouth  so  firmly  frozen  that  it  recjuirod 
considerable  force  to  open  it  and  pour  down  restoratives. 
He  still  lived,  however,  and  eventually  recovered,  with  no 
more  serious  results  than  frost-bites  to  his  hands,  feet,  and 
face. 

Tho  second  Christmas  was  passed  cheerfully  and  with  a 
bounteous  su])ply  oi  good  things.  "As  it  was  to  bo  our  last," 
writes  Captain  M'Clure,  "tho  crew  dotormin(Ml  io  make  it 
memorable,  jind  tiieir  exertions  were  c(»mpletely  successful  ; 
each  mess  was  gayly  illuminated  and  doccjratod  with  original 


)  J 


niscovEuv  OF  Tin:  yoirnniEsT  passa<;k 


If.o 


p:iintinfrs  by  our  l()Wor-<l.rk  artists,  cxhil.ifmfi  the  ship  m 
h,.,-  perilous  positions  durinji  the  triu»sit    of    tli.'  polar  sea, 
un.l  (liv.>rs  other  sul.jec-ts  ;    hut  tlic  Kran.l  features  of  the 
(lay    were    the    (>uoriuous    i)luiii    putMiufrs    (some    weighing 
t\V(>uty-six  pounds),  haunches  of  venison,  hares  roasted,  and 
soup  made  of  the  same,  with  ptarmi^tan  and  sea  pies.     Such 
dainties   in   such   i)rofusion   I   should   imagine   never  before 
graced  a  ship's  lower  .leek  ;    any  stranger,  to  have  witnessed 
the  scene,  could  but  faintly  ima}?ine  that  he  saw  a  crow  which 
had  passed  upwards  of  two  years,  in  tlu'se  dreary  regions, 
und  three  entirely  upon  their  own  resources,  enjoying  such 
exceUent    health -so    joyful,    so    happy;     indeed,    such    a 
mirthful    assemblage,    under   any   circumstances,    would   bo 
most  gratifving  to  anv  ofhcor  ;    but  in  this  lonely  situation, 
I  .-ould  not  but  feel  deeply  im|)ressed  as  I  contemplated  tho 
gay  and  plent(>ous  sight,  with  the  many  and  great  mercies, 
which    a    kind    and    benehcent    Providence    had    extended 
towards  us,  to  whom  alon(«  is  duo  tho  heart-felt  praises  as 
thanksgivings  of  all  far  the  great  blessings  which  wo  have 
hitherto  experienced   in  positions  tho  most   desolate   which 
can  be  conceived." 

In  the  autumn  of  18o2,  C'aptain  MTluro  had  made  known 
his  int.mtioas  of  sending  to  England,  the  following  spring 
half  of  the  officers  and  cnnv  na  Raffin  Bay  (taking  the  boat 
from  Cape  Spencer)  an<l  the  Mackenzie.  The  remainder  of 
the  cirw  wer.>  to  stan.l  by  tho  ship  in  tho  hope  of  releasing 
hor  in  the  summer  of  lSo3,  should  they  fail  in  this  they  woulu 
proceed  with  skHlg(>s  in  ISot  by  Port  Leopold,  "our  provi- 
sions admitting  of  no  other  arrangement."  In  tho  c  e- 
spatch  prei)ared  bv  Ca-tain  M'Cluro  which  he  sent  homo  by 
tho  land  partv  in  isr,3,  occurs  the  following  passage  :  - 

"  Should  any  of  her  Majesty's  ships  b(>  sent  for  our  relief,  and 
we  have  quitted  Port  Leopold,  a  notice  containing  informa- 
tion of  our  route  will  bo  loft  on  tho  door  of  tho  hous(>  at 


n   I 


I 
'I 


lllC. 


TiiK  liiiKAT  wiint:  soinu 


WIihUt's  Point,  or  on  some  conspicuous  position.  If,  how 
ever,  no  intimation  should  he  found  of  our  iiavinj;  Ix'cn  tiicrc, 
it  may  at  once  he  surmised  that  sonic  fatal  catastrophe  has 
liuppened,  either  from  our  lteinj>;  carried  into  thv  I'olar  Sea, 
or  smashed  in  Harrow's  Strait,  and  no  survivors  left.  If  such 
be  the  case.  —  which,  however,  I  will  not  anticipate,  —  it 
will  then  he  (juite  unnecessary  to  penetrate  furtlier  to  the 
westward  for  our  ri'lief,  as,  hy  the  period  that  any  vessel 
cou'd  reach  that  port,  we  must,  from  want  of  provisions,  all 
have  perished.  In  such  a  cas<',  I  would  submit  that  tin; 
officers  may  be  directed  to  return,  and  by  no  means  incur  the 
danger  of  losinji;  other  lives  hi  (juest  of  those  wluj  will  then 
bo  no  more." 

The  thrilling;  adventures  in  the  American  wihh'rness  told 
by  Franklin,  Richardson,  Hack,  and  (jthers,  foretold  that  this 
sledfie  jouriuy  i)roposed  by  M'Clure  would  be  lonjf  and 
hazardous  in  the  extrenu-.  The  weaker  ones  W(>re  to  under- 
take it,  thirty  of  the  healthiest  men  being  retainetl  to  stand 
by  the  shi])s  with  the  captain. 

The  curse  of  scurvy  had  lonji;  since  stricken  many  ;)f  the 
crew:  these  could  not  hope  to  l)rave  another  Arctic  winter, 
and  their  only  chancer  was  to  penetrate  the  wilderness  to 
civilization,  however  difficult  and  danj^erous  the  undertaking. 
Rut  while  M'Clure  and  his  gallant  comradi-s  were  making 
every  preparation  for  this  lust  attempt  to  communicato 
with  ICngland,  relief  camo  unexpectedly  to  hand. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Cajjtain  Kellett  of  Sir  Edward 
Relcher's  scpiadron  had  sailed  the  previous  August  to  Mel- 
ville Island  with  roHef  supplies  for  the  Invrxtiqnlor  and  En- 
terprise, in  case  those  vessels  or  mombors  of  their  crews  should 
have  succeeded  in  making  their  way  from  Behring  Strait 
to  that  place.  Upon  reaching  Winter  Harbour,  they  at  onco 
discovered  a  notice  deposited  there  the  beginning  of  the 
year  by  Captain  M'Cluro,  convejing  the  assurance  of  the 


CAPTAIN  KKLLtri  T 


107 


safety  of  the  Imrstiyator  and  its  crew  in  Mercy  Bay.  It  may 
be  iniajiined  with  what  eiithusiasiu  t^ueli  news  was  reeeived 
by  Captain  Kcllett  and  his  i-rew,  and  inunethately  prepara- 
tions were  made  lor  an  expedition  to  let  tiiem  know  that  aid 
was  at  hand. 

Tlie  imi(iue  nieetinK  of  Captain  M'CUire  from  the  west, 
and  Lieutenant  Pirn  from  the  east,  with  a  party  from  the 
I{e.solul<\  is  Krapincally  (h>seribed  in  a  private  letter  from 
Captain  Kellett. 

"Tliis  is  really  a  red-letter  day  in  our  voyafje,  and  shall 
be  kept  as  a  holiday  by  our  heirs  and  .suceessors  forever. 
At  nine  o'clock  of  tiiis  day,  our  lookout  man  made  the  sij^nal 
for  a  party  coming  in  from  the  westward;  all  wont  out  to 
meet  them,  and  assist  them  in.  A  second  party  was  then 
seen.  Dr.  Domville  was  tlu>  first  person  I  met.  I  can!iot 
descril)e  my  feelin}J!s  when  he  told  me  that  Captain  M'Clure 
was  amonn  the  next  party.  I  was  not  long  in  reaching  him, 
and  giving  him  many  hearty  shakes  —  no  jnirer  were  ever 
given  by  two  men  in  this  world.  M'Clure  looks  well,  but 
is  very  hungry.  His  description  of  Pim's  making  the  Har- 
bour of  Mercy  would  have  been  a  fine  subject  for  the  pen  of 
Captain  Marryat,  w(>r(>  he  aliv(>. 

"M'Clure  and  Ins  first  lieutenant  were  walking  on  the 
floe.  Seeing  a  person  coming  very  fast  towards  them,  they 
supposed  he  was  chased  by  a  Ixnir,  or  had  se(>n  a  b(>ar.  Walk- 
ing towards  him.  on  getting  onwards  a  hundred  yards,  they 
could  see  from  his  proportions  that  he  was  not  one  of  them. 
Pirn  began  to  screech  and  throw  u))  his  hands  (his  face  as  black 
as  my  hat)  ;  this  brought  the  captain  and  lieutenant  t(.  a 
stand,  as  tluy  could  not  lu^ar  sufficiently  to  make  out  his 

language.  ,     ■,     i-       u 

"At   length   Pim  reached  the  party,  quite  beside  himselt, 

and  stammered  out,  on  M'Clure  asking  him, — 
'"Who  are  you,  and  where  are  you  come  from?' 


Ifl.S 


!•*. 


I; 


TIIK  (ilth'AT    WIUTE   MiinJl 


"'Li('Ut<ii;mt    I'iiii,   Hdndl,  Captain    Kcllctt.' 

"This  was  the  iiiorr  incxplical)!*'  to  .M'Clmf,  as  I  was  tbc 
last  iMisoii  lie  shook  hands  with  in  Hchrinn's  Strait,  lie  at 
length  I'ound  that  this  >ohtary  strannfr  was  a  true  |]np;hsh- 
inan  an  aiiucl  of  li«ht.  He  says  :  'He  soon  was  seen  from 
the  ship;  thry  had  only  one  hatchway  open,  and  the  crrw 
wrtc  fairly  jarniMf'il  thrrc,  in  their  (iidcav(»r  to  jict  up.  The 
sick  jumped  out  of  their  hammocks,  and  the  crew  forgot 
their  despondency;  in  fact,  all  was  changed  on  hoard  the 
Inn  stiiiiilnr.' 

"M'Clure  had  thirty  men  and  thr flicers  fully  pre- 
pared to  leave  for  the  depot  at  Point  ."spencer.  What  a  dis- 
appttintmeiit  it  would  have  been  to  j^o  there  and  find  the 
miserahle  Mdii/  yacht,  with  four  or  five  ca>ks  of  provi- 
sions, instea<l  of  a  fine  large  depot  ! 

".\nother  party  of  seven  men  were  to  have  <>-one  by  the 
Mackenzie,  with  a  reciuest  to  the  Admiralty  to  send  out  a  ship 
to  meet  them  at  Point  Iz-opold,  in  lS.')t.  The  thirty  men 
are  on  their  way  over  to  me  now.  I  shall,  if  pos>il)I(',  send 
them  on  to  Beechey  Island,  and  al)out  ten  men  of  my  own 
crew,  to  he  taken  home  the  first  opportunity." 

Captain  Kellett  was  at  lirst  inclin-l  io  t'a\'>iir  M'Chire's 
efforts  to  save  the  ////'e.v//f/r/n/-,  hut,  on  tiie  2d  of  May,  Lieu- 
tenant Cresswell  rei)()rted  to  Ca])tain  Keliett  that  two  more 
deaths  had  occurred.  It  was  then  deemed  advisable  that 
Dr.  Domville  should  go  back  with  Captain  M'Clure  and 
inspect  the  crew.  Those  unfitted  to  pass  another  winter 
in  the  Arctic  were  to  be  ordered  home,  and  the  healthy  shoulil 
be  given  their  option  of  going  or  remaining.  Only  four  of 
the  crew  wen>  willing  to  remain,  although  all  of  the  officers 
volunteered  to  stand  by  the  vess(^l. 

Preparations  were  therefore  made  to  abandon  the  ship.  .\ 
depot  of  ]M'ovisions  and  stores  was  landed  for  the  use  of 
Cullinsi'U,  Fratikliti,  or  any  other  person  that  might  find  tliem, 


DEAIU  i>F  HKLLiU 


1G9 


ami  on  .Iuih'  3,  lH.>i,  the  colours  wjtc  hoisted  to  the  mast  head, 
and  offinTs  and  crew  hadr  farcwrll  to  the  Innsliiinlor.  Ipon 
arriving  at  Dcaly  island,  they  wtTc  afconiinodatcd  on  board 
the  lirsohi'c  and  Intirpiil. 

In  connection  with  the  glorious  report  of  the  (hscovery 
of  the  Northwest  Passage  and  the  saiVty  of  M'C'lure,  Captain 
Ingleti<ld  Immnht  home  news  of  a  sad  ami  tragic  character; 
the  death  of  that  gallant  Frenchman,  Lieutenant  Hellot.  \U^ 
had  returned  to  the  north  in  tin  i'hunix  drawn  hythe  fatal 
lure  of  the  Arctic  which  to  his  adventurous  m)u1  was  irn - 
Mstihle.  In  August,  IHoli,  he  had  volunteered  to  h-ad  a  party 
to  Sir  Edward  Belcher's  squadron  near  CafM'  Hee(  her  in 
Wellington  Channel.  They  start<Ml  on  a  Friday,  the  12th, 
from  Heechey  Island,  —  Harvey,  .Johnson,  Mad<len,  and  Hook, 
with  Lieutenant  Hellot  in  the  lead,  —  carrying  despatches  from 
Captain  Pullen  of  the  Xorth  Star. 

The  rottenness  of  the  ice  at  this  season  makes  travel  par- 
ticularly dangcTous,  and  Bellot  was  cautioned  to  keej)  close  to 
the  eastern  shon>  of  Wellington  Chaimel.  They  were  l)ro- 
vided  with  a  light  India-ruhher  boat,  which  was  easily 
dragged  upon  the  sledge.  The  ev(>ning  of  the  12th,  they 
encamped  about  three  miles  from  Cape  Innes.  The  follow- 
ing day  they  made  considerable  progress,  and  that  night 
encamj)ed  upon  the  oroken  ice,  over  which  they  had  been  plod- 
ding all  day,  near  Cape  Rowden.  On  Sunday  they  noticed 
a  crack  about  four  fe(^t  wi(l(>  running  across  the  channel.  Xo 
special  concern  was  felt  at  this  discovery,  and  Lieutenant 
Hellot  cheered  and  encouraged  the  men  to  make  for  a  cape  in 
the  distance  which  he  called  C.riimell  Cape.  ri)()n  reaching 
this  cape,  a  broad  belt  of  water  was  found  between  the  ice  and 
the  shore.  An  imfortnnate  wind  raised  a  rough  sea,  but 
Lieut(>nant  Bellot  made  an  attempt  to  reach  the  shore  alone 
in  the  boat,  intending  to  convey  a  line  by  which  th(>  re- 
mainder of  the  party  anil  provisions  might  })t>  brought  across. 


(■  * 


170 


THE  Gil  EAT    WHITE  yOUTII 


'  i' 

1: 


The  violence  of  the  ^aic  drove  him  haciv,  and  Harvey  and 
Madden  were  ordered  into  itic  l,„at,  and  sueeessfullyniade 
tht'  erossin;^.  After  tliis  th<'  l.oat  was  passe.l  and  repassed 
by  means  of  Hnes,  and  tluve  loads  fron.  the  sledj^e  were  landed 
HI  salety.  Tlic  party  on  sliore  were  haniin^  olf  for  a  fourth 
when  .Ma.id.n,  wiio  had  hold  of  tiie  shore-hue  and  stood  up  to 
his  middle  in  water,  ealled  out  that  tiie  ice  was  on  the  move, 
and  (h-ivin<i'  offshore. 

Jiellot  saw  that  if  Madden  held  on  to  the  line  much  longer 
he  would  l)e  draujicd  into  deep  water,  >o  he  called  to  hnn  t.;  let 
.sio,  which  he  did.  I.ieiitcnaiit  IJellot  and  his  two  mr-n  then 
hauh'd  the  hoat  on  to  the  sledtie  and  ran  it  up  to  the  wind- 
ward side  (,t  the  ice,  intending  to  launch  if  at  once  and  make 
for  the  shore.  Before  this  could  be  accomplished,  the  ice 
had  rai)idly  increased  its  moti,)n  ,and  drifted  so  far  from  the 
shore  as  to  make  it  im])(.ssihle  Un-  them  to  reach  it.  Madden 
and  Harv(y,  with  indescribable  fcelin.us  of  alarm,  hastened 
to  an  eminence,  and  h.r  two  h.nu-  hours  watched  their  com- 
rudes  drifting  out  to  sea  in  the  teeth  of  a  bitter  breeze  — 
fimid  the  turbulent  ic.t.erus.  As  the  mists  and  drivin.u'  snow 
finally  closed  upon  their  view,  the  tw(.  men  were  seen  stand- 
ing by  the  slcdoc,  Lieutenant  Rellot  on  the  toj)  of  a  hummock. 

Madden  and  Ifarv(y  descended  to  the  shore  and  at  onco 
beiran  their  return  journey  to  the  ship.  With  v(Ty  little  pro- 
visions, they  walked  round  (^rilTen  P.sy  and  hence  to  Cape 
Bowden.  wIhmv  they  remained  to  rest.  While  there,  great 
was  their  joy  to  reco<rniz(>  .Johnson  and  Hook  lia>tenin).^ 
toward  them.  The  party  now  m.ade  for  the  ship,  which 
tiK'y  reached  with  considerable  difficulty  .and  privation.  The 
fate  of  i)oor  Lieutenant  Bellot  is  described  by  William  John- 
son, who  wa<  with  him  on  the  ice  at  th(>  time  of  his  death. 

"We  got  the  provisions  on  shore  on  Wednesday,  the  17th. 
After  we  h;id  done  (hat,  there  remained  on  the  ice  David 
Hook,  Lieutenant  Bellot,  and  myself,  having  with  us  the 


Hi 


I     4 

I 

1 


ii 


(. 


.>i 


r^' 


il!^ 


r  t'  ' 


DEATH  OF  BELLOT 


171 


slcdgo,    mackintosh    awiiinsi,   iitid    little   hoiit.     Coininciiccd 

tryinjf  to  draw  the  boat  and  sicdjic  to  the  southwar'l,  hut 

found  the  ice  drivin;j;  .so  last,  that  we  left  the  sleil<i;e  and  took 

the  boat  only  ;   hut  the  wind  was  so  strong  at  the  time  that  it 

blew  the  boat  over  and  oxer.     We  then  took  the  boat  with 

us,  undi'r  shelter  of  a  i)iece  of  ice,  and  Mr.  liellot  and  ourselves 

commenced  cuttinji;  an  ici'-house  with  our  knives  for  shelter. 

Air.  liellot  .'^at  for  half  an  hour  in  convers;ition  with  us,  talk- 

inj;'  on  the  danj>;er  of  our  jiosition.     I  toM  him   I  was  not 

afraid  and  that  the  American  Exjx'dition  was  driven  up  and 

down  this  channel  by  the  ice.     He  rejjlied,   'I   know  they 

were ;    and  when  the  Lord  profe^-ts  us,  not  a  hair  of  our 

heads  shall  be  touched.'     I  then  asked  Mr.  Ui  Mot  what  time 

it  was.     He  said,  'About  a  (juarter  past  8  a.m.'   (Thursday, 

the  18th),  and  then  lashed  his  lio(jks,  and  said  he  would  }io 

and  see  how  the  ice  was  driving'.     He  had  only  been  ^one 

about  four  minutes,  when  I  went  round  the  same  hummock, 

under  which  we  were  sheltered  to  l(K>k  for  him.  but  could  not 

se<^  him  ;   and  on  returninj.;  to  our  shelter,  saw  his  stick  on  the 

opposite  side  of  a  crack,  about  five  fathoms  wide,  and  the 

i<'e  all  Im-akins  up.     I  then  called  out,  'Mr.  Bellot,'  but  no 

answer  (at  this  tim(>  blowinj;  very  heavy).     After  this  I  again 

searched   round,   but   could   se(>   nothinii  of  him.     I   lielieve 

when  he  {wt  from  the  shelter,  the  wind  blew  him  into  the 

crack,  and  his  south-westiT  beinii  tied  down,   \w  could  not 

ris(>.     Findinji;  there  was  no  ho])e  of  ajiain  seeing  Lieutenant 

Bellot,  T  said  to  Hook,  'I'm  not  afraid:    I  know  the  Lord 

will  always  sustain  us.'      We  commenced  travelling,  to  try 

to  get  to  Cape  de  Haven,  or  Port  Phillii)s  ;    and,  when  we 

got  within  two  miles  of  ('aju^  de  Haven,  could  not  get  on 

shore,  and  return(>d  for  this  side,  endeavoring  to   get    to  tl.e 

southward,  as  the  ice  was  driving  to  the  northward.     We 

were  that  night  and  the  following  (hiy  in  coming  across,  and 

came  into  the   land  on  the  eastern  shore,  a  long  way  lo  the 


li 


W 


I  (! 
I  i 

11 


■A  I 


.i  I 


i' 

4' 


172 


TIIK   GUEAT    WniTK   SOni'lI 


iiorthwunl  of  the  \i\\.\vv  when*  Wf  were  driven  off.  Wo  {^ot  into 
(lie  land  at   wliat    Licutcnunt    licllot  told  u  s  I'oiiit    Ilo- 

Kurtii. 

"In  driftinji;  up  tlic  Straits  towards  tlic  Polar  Sea  wo 
saw  an  icohor^;  \\\ny^  close  to  the  shore,  and  found  it  on  the 
frround.  We  succeeded  in  fiettinji;  on  it  and  remained  for 
six  hours.  I  said  to  David  Hook,  'Don't  be  afraid,  we  nuist 
make  a  boat  of  a  i)iece  of  ice.'  .Vccordin^ly,  we  fi;ot  on  to  a 
l)iece  passinjj;,  and  I  had  a  padille  l)elonj;injj;  to  the  Inilia- 
rul)ber  t)oa(.  liy  tliis  piece  «)f  drift  ice  we  nianafiecl  to 
reach  the  shore,  and  then  jjroceeded  to  wliere  the  accident 
hai)iK'ned.  Reached  it  on  Fri<lay.  Could  not  find  our  ship- 
mates, or  any  provisions.  Went  on  for  Cape  Bowden, 
and  reached  it  on  Friday  ni;?ht." 

Poor  HelK)t  -  too  brave  —  too  younj;'  to  die  —  beloved 
by  coinrados,  mourned  by  the  simi)le  Kskimos  he  had 
befriended  —  cherished  in  tender  memory  i)y  the  nation  that 
}i,ave  him  l)irtli  and  by  Croat  Hritain  for  whom  he  ^iixv  his 
life,  —  his  honoured  name  is  linked  in  inmiortality  with  those 
l)ravo  heroes  of  the  Arctic,  whoso  sepulchre  is  the  frozen 
dee]),  whose  monuments  are  the  eternal  snows  of  the  CJreat 
Wiiite  North. 


^rr^i^ 


vj'^      I 


i 


'A 


\i  H 


173 


'M'« 


i  U" 


CHAPTER  X 


I  ; 


Sl('iljfiii<r  parlies  of  Sir  Kdward  liclclicr's  sriuadron.  —  Dosortion 
of  the  ships.  l{(tuni  to  l.iiKhiud.  —  iStory  of  the  HtxolnU. — 
Tnii'csof  Sir  John  I'raiikliii  discovered  by  Dr.  Rue.  — Amlerson's 
journey.  Tiie  voyage  of  the  Fax  under  ("oniinander  M'Cliii- 
tock.  -  Sledy;e  journeys. —  Record  and  rehcsof  Iranklin's  e.xpedi- 
tion.  —  Fdx  nlurn.s  lo  linglauil. 

TiiK  sicdjie  parties  sent  out  by  Sir  Edwiiril  BolfluT'.s 
s(|U!t(ln)n,  tlioufili  numerous  and  extended,  had  suceecdc-d  in 
findinji  no  traee  of  Franklin  or  his  crew.s  ;  thus  the  winter 
of  IS,');}  lS.")f  i)ass('(l.  The  followinj;-  April,  Lieutenant  Ale- 
ehani  found  in  Prince  of  Wales  Strait  and,  later  on,  Ramsay 
I>land.  records  hearinjz;  the  date  of  Aufiust  27,  IS.Vi,  giving 
full  intelligence  of  Cajjtain  ('ollin,M)n,  since  hi.s  .■<e])aration 
from  the  I)ir(4i(j(it(>r.  All  that  CoUinson  knew  of  th(>  posi- 
tion of  M'Clure  after  parting  with  him  in  ISoO  in  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  was  a  rej^ort  from  the  f'lnrir  that  the  J  it  vent  i  gator 
had  heen  seen,  steering  northward,  off  Wainwriglit  Inlet. 

To  V'lify  certain  rumom's  ('onneete<l  with  this  report.  Cap- 
tain Cullinson  ord 'red  a  young  officer,  Lieutenant  Barnard, 
anil  certain  memi)ers  of  the  erew  to  land  at  a  Ru.s.sian  settle- 
ment in  northwest  America.  The  re.sult  was  a  sad  tragedy; 
Barnard  was  brutally  murdered  by  Indians  in  February, 
ISol,  at  a  post  called  Darnbin,  near  Norton  Sound. 

l\v  the  last  of  .July,  1>S,')1,  Collinson  had  rounded  Point 
Barrow,  and  had  steered  u]i  Prinee  of  Wales  Strait.  On 
Princess  Royal  Islanil,  he  discovered  a  (le)K)t  de))ositod  by 
M'C  'lure  and  a  cairn  containing  information  oi  \\\v  I nvcstuiatofs 
movements  up  until  June  1."),  IS.")1.  Collinson  proceeded  in 
exactly  the  eoiu^e  taken  by  the  Innxtigator,  and  to  his  sur- 

174 


VAPTAIX    COL  L  /.V.SO.V 


IT.*) 


Iiris(>  found  ;it  (ape  Kcllrtt,  on  Scptrrul)cr  :>,  imotlu'r  record 
of  M'Clurc  ])hicfd  there  on  Auiiust    IS. 

("oUinson  now  found  it  necessary  to  seek  winter  ((Uarters. 
These  lie  secured  toward  the  eastern  sitle  of  the  entrance  to 
Prince  of  Wah-s  Strait. 

As  conditions  would  allow,  he  pursued  his  explorations  in 
the  vicinity  of  Hanks  Land,  Albert  Land,  Wollaslon  Land, 
and  \ictoria  Land,  saininjj;  naich  valuable  seofjraphical  in- 
formation, but  no  trace  of  Franklin,  except  for  the  findinji;  in 
the  j)ossession  of  tiie  l-^skiinos  a  piece  of  an  iron  doorway  or 
hatch  frame  which  mif;ht  have  belonged  to  the  Erdmn  or 
Terror.  This  was  found  at  Cambridge  Ray,  in  W'oUaston 
Land,  where  Collinson  wint(Mrd  in   18ry2-18')3. 

ColHnson'.s  sledge  parties  explored  the  west  side  of  Wc- 
toria  Strait,  but,  owinj^  to  lack  of  coal,  Captain  Collinson 
decided  not  to  try  to  force  a  pa.ssage  through  the  channel, 
but  to  return  the  Avay  he  had  come.  He  did  not  get  round 
Barrow  Point,  however,  without  passing  a  third  winter  in 
th(>  northern  coast  of  America. 

The  best  part  of  the  summer  of  18.>3  was  passed  by  the 
Resolute  and  Intrepid  with  their  crews  and  that  of  the  Inve.-i- 
tigdtor  shut  up  in  the  ice  at  Dealy  Island.  Every  ])r(>paration 
was  made  to  advance  at  a  moment's  notice  should  the  ice 
favour  the  oiijwrtunity,  and  at  la.st,  on  the  ISth  of  August, 
they  got  under  way,  a  strong  gale  from  offshore  having  dis- 
ruptured  the  ice. 

Ha'-dly  were  officers  and  men  congratulating  them- 
selves that  at  last  they  were  homeward  bound,  when  they 
were  arrested  by  the  pack  off  Byam  Martin  ("lunHK>l,  where 
they  lay,  unable  to  mak(>  Bathurst  Island  and  thence  to 
Beechey  Island.  Winter  was  advancing;  the  situation  was 
disheartening;  day  after  day  passed  without  the  prospect  of 
escape.  The  men  occupied  them.s(«lves  with  securing  game, 
against  the  possible  detention  of  the  ships  for  another  gloomy 


i' 


it  I 


iTt; 


Tllh:    UUEAT    WHITE    SOUTH 


winter.  Ten  thousniid  ixnmds  of  meat.  i)riiu'ipally  iim.-k- 
ox,  was  ol.taincil  and  frozen.  Hy  the  •.Hh  of  September, 
newly  formed  ice  surrounded  them  in  sueh  (luantities  that 
they  were  fairly  heset  and  drifted  at  tlie  mercy  of  the  i)ack 
until  the  12th  of  November,  when,  to  the  joy  of  all,  the  ships 
were  at  rest  at  a  jioint  due  east  of  Winter  Harbor,  Melville 
Island,  in  hnij^itude  lOT  \V.  Here  the  lon^  winter  months 
passed  slowly  by,  with  no  greater  casualty  than  the  death  of 
one  officer,  and  the  s[)rinn-  of  IS.")!  found  Captain  Keilett 
l)lanning  to  continue  tlie  search,  whih'  MX 'lure  and  his  crew 
departed  April  14,  with  sledges,  for  Heeehey  Island. 

While  engaged  in  i)reparations  for  his  pnjposed  sledgo 
journeys,  ("ai)tain  Ki'Uett  received  a  communication  from 
Sir  Ivlward  BelcluT,  admiral  of  the  stjuadron.  suggesting 
that  rather  than  run  the  risk  of  passing  .another  winter  in  the 
Arctic,  he  should  abandon  his  ships  and  meet  Sir  Edward 
at  Beechey  on  or  before  August  2(5.  To  this  ('ai)tain  Keilett 
remonstrated,  stating  that  his  shijis  were  in  a  favourable 
situation  for  (>scai)e,  that  the  h(>alth  of  the  erew  was  excel- 
lent, and  they  had  provisions  in  jilenty,  and  that  those  con- 
cerned in  deserting  .shijis  under  such  circumstances  "would 
deserve  to  have  the  jackets  taken  off  their  backs."  To  this 
strong  ai)i)(>al  came  positive  orders  for  the  abandonment  of 
th(>  shijis. 

Acting  mider  these  orders,  Captain  ivcllett  reluctantly 
prepared  to  desert  the  Resolute  and  Intrepid.  Both  shii)s 
were  stored  with  provisions,  the  engines  of  tlie  Intrepid  jnit 
in  such  good  order  that  she  could  be  got  under  steam  in  two 
hours,  the  hatches  calked  tlown,  and  notices  placed  at  proi)er 
points  for  the  guidance^  of  two  sledging  parties  that  w(>re 
away  from  the  ships  at  this  time.  On  the  15th  of  May, 
1854,  the  captain  and  er(>w  said  farewell  to  their  tnisty  crafts 
and  started,  with  sledges,  for  Beeehey  Island,  where  M'Cluro 
and  hiri  men  were  greatly  surprised  by  their  arrival. 


r.iP7.i/.v   in-.i.ciiKR 


1 


1 1 


Since  Sir  Edward  nclchcr  liad  putiMl  witli  C'ajjtain  Kcilctf 
August  14,  IS.')2,  parties  I'rom  the  Assislmicc  nwtl  Pln>i((  r 
liad  been  diligently  cxploriiij^  AN'elliiijiton  Cliannel.  Haviii<f 
anchored  near  ("ape  Heecher,  in  latitude  7(1°  .")2'  and  l(>ny;i- 
tude  37°  \V.,  l)()at  an<l  sledj^e  expeditions  were  sent  north- 
ward as  early  as  the  23d  of  August.  On  the  2.')th  remains  of 
s;'veral  well-built  Eskimo  houses  were  discoveretl,  of  which, 
says  ('ai)tain  Belcher  :  — 

"They  were  not  simply  circles  of  small  stones,  but  two 
lines  of  well-laiil  wall  in  excavated  <z;roimds,  tilled  in  between 
by  about  two  feet  of  fine  gravel,  well  ])aved,  and,  withal, 
presenting  the  ai)pearance  of  great  care -more,  indeed, 
than  I  am  willing  to  attribute  to  the  rude  inhabitants  of  mi- 
gratory Eskimos.  Jiones  of  deer,  wolves,  seals,  etc.,  were 
numerous,  and  coal  was  found." 

New  lands  discovered  were  given  the  names  of  North 
Cornwall,  Victoria  Archipelago,  and  to  an  island  of  this 
group  forming  a  channel  to  tlie  Polar  Sea  was  given  the  name 
of  XortI'  Kent. 

Other  sledging  parties  intended  for  the  search  of  the  north- 
east section  left  the  ship  May  2,  18o3,  and  soon  reached  the 
lunit  of  tiieir  discoveries  the  i)revious  year. 

Belcher  reached  Cape  Disraeli,  an  elevation  of  six  hundred 
and  eighty  f(>et  above  the  .sea,  and  later  made  his  way  to  the 
entrance  of  Jones  Channel,  where  he  had  an  exten<led  view 
oi  .successive  beetling  lieadlands  on  either  side  of  the  chaiUU'l. 
The  roughness  of  the  frozen  pack  compelled  the  partj'  to  take 
to  the  land,  but  progress  was  again  imjieded  by  an  al)rupt 
glacier.  Other  attempts  to  continue  the  land  journey  proved 
futile,  and  by  the  20th  of  May  the  party  could  advance  no 
farther. 

Of  the  return  journey  Belcher  writes  :  — 

"Our  progress  was  tantalizing  and  attended  with  dee]i 
interest  and  excitement.     In  the  Hnst  place,  I  discovered,  on 


1.' 


%i 


•\ 


I. 


I 


M 


M 


M^ 


THE  cur.AT    UIHII-:  sourir 


the  I. row  (»f  a  iiioiinlaiii  :il)()ut  ci^lit  liuiidnMl  feet  al)()V('  flie 
.sea,  what  appealed  to  he  a  ncciit  and  a  very  W(»rkiiiaiilik(f 
.^Inictun'.  'I'liis  was  a  dome,  or  ratlici.  a  doul^lc  cone, 
or  icc-housc,  l.uilt  i.f  very  heavy  and  tnhiilar  slabs,  which 
no  single  person  (.mid  carry.  It  ct,nsistcd  of  ahoiit  forty 
courses,  ei^ht  feet  in  diameter,  and  eijrht  feet  in  de|)th,  when 
dean  (1.  hut  only  five  in  lieij^^ht  from  the  iiase  of  the  ui)per  cono 
as  we  opened  it. 

"Most  carefully  was  every  stone  removed,  every  atom  of 
moss  or  earth  scrutinized  ;  the  stones  at  the  bottom  also  taken 
U|>  :  but  without  finding  a  trace  of  any  record,  or  (»f  the  struc- 
ture havinji;  been  used  by  any  human  bein}-;.  It  was  filled 
by  diift  snow,  but  did  not  in  any  respect  bear  the  a})pearance 
of  havin^^  been  built  more  than  a  .sea.son.  This  was  named 
'  Mount  Discovery.'" 

A  little  later  he  writes  :  — 

"Leavinji  our  crew,  pretty  well  fatigued,  to  jMtch  the  tent 
and  prepare  the  customary  ])(>mmican  meal,  I  ascended  the 
mountain  al)ove  us,  and  discovered  that  we  really  were  not 
far  from  our  old  position  of  last  y(>ar,  on  Cape  Hogarth,  and 
had  ("ape  Majendie  and  Hamilton  Island  to  the  west,  about 
twenty  miles. 

"My  surprise,  however,  was  checked  suddenly  by  two 
structures  rather  in  I'^unjpean  form,  {-m1  ai)parently  graves; 
each  was  similarly  constructed  ;  and,  like  the  dome,  of  large 
selected  sl.abs,  having  at  each  end  three  separate  stones,  had 
as  we  should  place  head  and  foot  stones.  80  thoroughly 
satisfied  was  I  that  there  was  no  delusion,  I  desisted  from  dis- 
turbing a  stone  until  it  should  be  formally  done  by  the  party 
assembled. 

"The  evening  following  —  for  where  the  sun  is  so  oppres- 
sive to  the  eyes  by  day  we  travel  by  night  —  we  ascended  the 
hill,  and  removed  the  stones.     Xot  a  trace  of  human  beings  !  " 

After  a  second  winter  (I8o3-18")4)  spent  at  tlie  southern 


J'' 


i)i:si:Hi i<t\   or  riii-:  >////•> 


17!t 


liuni  of  iJariiif:  Hay,  Sir  lidward  Belcher  turned  liis  entire 
exertions  to  ^ettiun  lii.^  crews  safely  hack  tu  i;ii);laii<l. 
The  Assi.stnnc)'  iuu[  J' ioiiar  wvrv  released  from  their  winter 
quarters  August  (i,  1S.")1,  and  iirocerdcd  slowly  d(»wn  the 
channel.  The  ice  had  l.roken  up  in  IJarrow  Strait,  id  !)V 
August  22  the  floe  in  Wellinj-tou  Channel  was  opm  for 
fifteen  miles  ncMth  of  the  strait.  There  was  only  a  helt  s(»me 
twenty  miles  in  extent,  and  this  much  cracked,  remaininj; 
Ix'tween  the  ships  and  the  water  c(»nimunicatin,u;  with  the 
Atlantic  Ocean.  In  spite  of  these  favourahle  conditions.  Sir 
Kdward  Belcher  and  his  crews  deserted  the  Assi.-;l(nirc  and 
Pioneer  on  .Vu^ust  2(1,  1854,  an<l  made  their  way  to  the  place 
of  rendezvous  at   Beechey  Island. 

The  Xorth  Star  accordinjily  set  sail  witli  all  the  ofhcers  and 
men  of  the  Awistance,  Pioneer,  Re-solute,  Intrepid,  and  Inrex- 
tiijdtor,  hut  me(>tinK  the  Phanix  and  T<il}u>t,  under  Captain 
In^lefield  (who  had  a^van  returned  to  the  search),  a  distri- 
bution of  the  crews  was  made  amons  the  three  vessels,  and 
on  the  2Sth  of  September,  1854,  all  were  safely  landed  in 
England. 

The  rejiort  of  five  .ships  deserted  in  the  Arctic  regions,  and 
no  tidinj^s  of  the  Erebus  and  Terror,  {rjive  rise  to  the  court- 
martial  of  Sir  Edward  Belcher  and  his  officers,  all  of  whom, 
with  the  exception  of  Sir  Edward,  were  honourably  ac(iuitted, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  in  consecjuence  of  the'r  haAin-i  act(>d 
under  orrlers,  and  tlieir  swords  wen>  returned  to  them  with 
very  flatt(>rins  expres.sions  of  approbation.  Sir  Edward 
Belcher  was  also  acquitted,  but  was  reproved  for  not  having 
consulted  sufFicic  ntly  with  his  officers,  and  his  ^word  was 
return(>d  to  him  in  si,t>nificant  silence. 

The  British  jrovernment  now  decirled  to  abandon  the  search 
for  Sir  John  Franklin,  and  his  name  was  erased  from  the  liooks 
of  the  Admiralty,  —  a  .sad  token  that  all  hojH"  of  his  return  was 
gone  forever. 


''4 


'eI 


IM» 


\U 


.>! 


////•;  './.'/;.f/    nnni:   soirrii 


Astrm.>;..:,M.lrnn,aiiti.r|,..,,.t.rir,  tluhisionufSirlvlvvanl 
ii<IHu'rs  >.,u;„i,„M   was  a.Mr.l  i„   ,|„.  „„„„i,  „,•  s..,,t,.,„lMT 
I.S.M.      IIh-  whal.T,  (M.n/r  //'7.///.  Captain  Hu.Min^it.,.,,  hail- 
ing' troiii  N.'NV  L.„.,|o,.,  (ui„H<tinil,  was  Ins.!   hv  \vv  i„  \U{ 
J".   '|.\v.     On    I.H.kin^    tliruuf.!.    Iiis  nla>s  our  ,M;MMiM;r,  (w 
tail.  Hu.l.lM.iifun  saw  a  la.-,  ship  lift....,,  u,-  tw..„t  v  „,il..s  awav 
w..,k,.,i.-  I...,-  way  si.,wly  t.mar.l  hi,,,.     \un-  s..v..ral  .hivs  h.! 
wnt.-h...l  h.TK,.a.h,allyappr..a..h,a„.l  .„,  th..  s.-v..„th  .hiy  th.' 
•"at",  M,-.  (2„a,i,  a„.l  (hn,.  „„.„  we,.,-  s..„t  out  to  (i,„l  o„f 'what 
sh..  was. 

••  Aft.T  a  har.|  .lay's  j,H,m..y  „v..,-  )h..  i,.,.,  -  ju,„pi„jr  f,,,,,, 
I'"''''   <•;   P"'<'".   ^'"1    I'n>hiM^   th..„,s..Iv.-s   al..„«  o„   is.,lut...l 
«-ak..s,  th..y  urn-  ,„.ar  cu.u.h  t.,  s..,-  that  sh,.  was  Wuv^  „„  h.T 
•■"•lH.anl   s„|..,    fi,.,nly    i,,,!,,.,!,!..,!    i,.    ,h,.   j,,,     Thi-v  sh,mt...l 
Kistily  as  s.Km  as  lh..y  ^o\  withi,,  haili,,^  .listai.c,.  ;"  \n,\  th..,v 
was  „..  ..„,sw..r.     \,„   a  s.„.l  was  t..  I,.,  s.-.n.   ,  For  on,.  „„.- 
"'•■nf,  as  tl„.y  .-an,,.  ah.nuH.I,.,  th,-  n,,.,,  falt,.,v,|,  with  a  s.,p,.r- 
•^  ...ons  f,.,.l„„,  „„|  h,.>ifat...l  t,.  K„  on  |.oanl.     A  ,n,.n„.nt 
uft.T,  th,.y  ha.l  ,.|i,„l„.,[  ov,.r  th,-  l„-,.k..M  i,-,..  an.l  st„„,l  ..n 
<l<rk.     ]•  v,.,.yth.no-  was  st„w,..|  away  in  „r,l,.r  -  spars  haul,.,I 
"P  an.llash,.,!   t,.  ..n,-  si,!,..    I.oats   pil,..l   u^^vXh.r,   hat,.h,.s 
•'alk<.<l  .(own.     ()v,.r  tl...  h,.|,„.  i„  l,.tt,.,.s  of    l.rass,    was  i,i- 
.'^n-.l„-,I  th,.   n.ott...   '|.:nolan.l  ,.xp,.,.ts   ov.Ty  ,nan  t.,  ,lo  his 
(lut.v.      \\n\  th..,.,.  was  n,)  man  t.)  h,',.,l  tho  warninj.-." 

Th,.    whal,.,,,..,,    l„.ok,.   op,.n    th,.    compani.mwav,  an.l   ,!,.- 
scrn,  ...1  ,nt.,  th,.  ,.al.i,i.     .\1|  was  sil,.n,.,.an,l,la,-kn,'.ss,     (In.p- 
..<«(!,.„•  way  t,.  th,.  tal.I,..  th,y  fo.ni.l  n,at,.h,.s  an,l  ,.an,ll,'s 
a...    stn.,.k  a  li,ht.     Th,.,.,-  w,.,-,.  .I,.,.ant,.,-s  an.l  ,lass,vs  on  th,'. 
tal.lo.  ,-ha.,-s  an.l  lo„n-,.s  stan,linjr  ar,)un,l.   l.,.,>ks  s.-attcml 
al>nut        ,>v,.rythinj.-  jnst  as  it   ha.l  h,.,.n  last  us...l.     L„oki„.r 
cunons ly  fnm,  on,,  thinjr  to  an„th,M-.  w„n,l,.,.inj.  what    this 
.l<'s.Tt,..l  slup  n.ioht  I,,,  at  last  th,.y  ,.,»„.  up.,,,  th..  lo^.-hook 
t  was  ,n,io,-s,.,l.  "  Hark  Rrsninir,  1st  S,.pt,.n,l„.r,  ;S.-i3,  to  Vp.il' 
iSo4.  '     One    entry   was   as    tollows :     '-11.    Af.   S.    A'.  ..=/;,• /t' 


r 


DES  FAIT  ION    OF    THE    SHU'S 


IM 


17tli  January,  IS.')  1,  nine  a.m.     Mustcml  by  divisions.    People 
taking  exercise  on  deck.     Five  p.m.     Mercury  frozen." 

At  last  tlu>  Resolute  had  broken  her  icy  bonds  and  was  free. 
While  the  Yankee  wlialeinen  were  (wainininji;  her,  a  gale 
started  up  and  night  came  on  ;  for  two  days  these  hnir  men 
remained  aboard  her.  Ry  the  lOtli  of  September  they  had 
returned  to  their  own  ship  and  told  their  story. 

For  ten  (hiys  these  two  shijis  had  gradually  neared  one 
another,  and  on  the  10th  Cajitain  Buddington  was  able  to 
board  the  Resolute  himself  and  carefully  note  her  condition. 
Her  hold  was  jm'tty  well  filled  with  ic(>,  and  Iht  tanks  hud 
burst  from  the  e.xtreme  cold,  filling  her  full  of  water  almost  to 
the  lower  deck. 

"Everji:hing  that  could  move  from  its  jilace  had  moved. 
Ever>lhing  between  decks  was  wet  ;  everything  that  would 
moukl  was  mouldy.  'A  sort  of  i)ersi)iration'  had  settled  on 
the  beams  and  ceilings.  The  whalemen  made  a  fire  in  Kel- 
lett's  stove,  and  soon  started  a  sort  of  shower  from  the  vapor 
with  which  it  filled  the  air.  The  Resolute  had,  howev(T, 
four  force  pumps.  For  three  days  the  Cai)tain  and  six  men 
workeil  fourte(>n  hours  a  day  on  on(^  of  these,  and  had  the 
pleasure  of  finding  that  they  freed  her  of  water,  —  that  she 
was  tight  still.  They  cut  away  upon  the  mass(>s  of  ic(> ; 
and  on  the  23d  of  S(>ptember,  in  the  evening,  she  freed  herself 
from  her  enciunbrances,  and  took  an  even  keel.  This  was 
off  the  west  shore  of  Baffin's  Bay,  in  latitude  (17°.  On  the 
shortest  tack,  she-  was  twelve  hundred  miles  from  where 
Kellett  left  her. 

"There  was  work  enough  still  to  be  <lone.  The  rudder  was 
to  be  sliipped,  and  rigging  to  be  made  taut,  sail  to  be  set." 

In  another  week  she  was  ready  to  make  sail  —  and  though 
both  the  whaler  and  Resolute  still  drifted  in  the  ice-iiack, 
Captain  Buddington  resolved  to  bring  her  home:  however, 
by  October  21,  after  a  gale,  the  Residute  was  fn>e.     Ten  iiicii 


I 
r 


ii;^i^ 


INJ 


77//;  a  HEAT  nil  HE  south 


^'    \ 


M 


f        ! 


A       I 


were  scli  .ted  from  the  (icorge  Ilenn/,  and  with  nnif^li  tracings 
of  tlic  Anicrican  coast,  his  lever  watch  and  quachant  for  his 
instruments,  ('a])tain  Budchnf^ton  undertook  a  perilous  and 
remarkable  journey.  Tiie  ship's  ballast  was  vione,  she  was 
to])-hcavy  and  undermanned.  Heavy  gales  anil  head  winds 
drove  them  as  far  as  th(>  Bermudas.  The  water  left  in  the 
ship's  tanks  was  brackish  —  and  the  men  suffered  from  thirst. 

"For  sixty  hours  at  a  time,"  says  Captain  Buddington, 
"I  fre(juently  had  no  sleep." 

In  the  meantime,  he  had  commmiicatcd  with  an  English 
whaling  bark,  and  by  her  sent  to  Captain  Kellett  his  epaulets 
and  word  to  his  owners  that  he  was  coming. 

On  Sunday  morning,  December  21,  with  the  British  ensign 
flying  from  her  shorn  masts,  the  liisohitc  anchored  opposite 
New  London.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Great  Britain 
gen(Tously  released  all  claims  in  favour  of  the  sailors,  and  that 
Congress  resolved  to  jjurchase  the  v(\ssel  and  restore  it  as  a 
gift  to  ICngland.  The  Resolute  was  taken  to  a  dry  dock  in 
Brooklyn,  and  there  put  in  complete  rejiair.  Everj-thing  on 
board,  even  the  smaUest  article,  was  i)laced  in  its  original 
jKjsition,  and  at  last  when  this  work  was  completed,  she  was 
manned  and  officered  by  the  United  States  Xavy,  and  with 
sails  all  s(>t  and  strcamiTs  all  flying  started  for  England.  On 
December  12,  1S.")(),  after  a  tempestuous  voyag(>.  she  anchored 
at  Spithead,  ilying  the  British  and  United  States  ensigns. 
After  an  (>nthusiastic  welcome,  the  Resolute,  with  an  escort 
of  two  other  steamers,  was  taken  to  Cowes,  near  Queen  Vic- 
toria's private  i)alace.  December  Ki,  the  Queen,  accompanied 
by  Prince  Albert,  the  Princi^  of  Wales,  and  a  distinguished 
suite,  paid  an  official  visit  to  the  American  officers  on  board 
ship. 

The  next  morning  she  was  towed  up  to  th(>  harbour  of  Ports- 
nunith,  escort(>d  by  the  st(>am  frigate  Retribution,  and,  on 
arriving  at  iier  anchorage,  was  received  with  a  royal  salute. 


STOHY    OF    THE    RESOLUTE 


183 


and  such  an  outburst  of  popular  applause  as  was  never  known 
before. 

On  the  30th  of  December,  1856,  the  American  flag  was 
hauled  down  on  board  the  Rewlutc,  amid  a  salute  from  the 
Victory  of  twenty-one  guns.  The  Union  Jack  was  hoisted 
up,  and  the  formal  transfer  of  the  lie^idnk  to  the  British  au- 
thorities was  completed.  The  following  ilay  the  American 
officers  and  crew  left  England  for  the  United  States. 

Though  the  fate  of  Sir  John  Franklin  was  still  a  mystery, 
ne\'s  of  a  melancholy  character  had  reached  England  tiirough 
the  Montreal  Herald  of  October  21,  1854,  in  which  a  hotter  was 
published  written  by  Dr.  Rae  of  York  Factory,  August  4 
of  the  same  year,  and  addressed  to  the  governor  of  the  Hud- 
son Bay  Company.  August  15,  1853,  Uae  had  reached  his 
old  quarters  at  Repulse  Bay,  wh(Te  he  wintered  ;  the  end  of 
the  following  March  he  undertook  his  spring  journey.  At 
Pelly  Bay  he  fell  in  with  Eskimos  from  whom  he  secured 
several  articles  that  he  recognized  as  belonging  to  various 
members  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  expecUtion.  "On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  20th"  (April),  he  writes  in  his  journal,  "we  were 
met  by  a  very  intelligent  Eskhno  driving  a  dog-sledge  laden 
with  musk-ox  beef.  This  man  at  once  consented  to  accom- 
pany us  two  days'  journey,  and  in  a  few  minutes  had  deposited 
his  load  on  tlie  snow,  and  was  ready  to  join  us.  Having 
explained  to  him  my  object,  he  said  that  the  road  bj'  which 
he  had  come  was  the  best  for  us  ;  and,  having  lightened  the 
men's  sledges,  we  travelled  with  more  facility.  We  were  now 
joined  by  another  of  tlie  natives,  who  had  been  absent  seal- 
hunting  yesterflay  ;  l)ut,  being  anxious  to  see  us,  had  visited 
our  snow-house  early  this  morning,  and  then  followed  up  our 
track.  This  man  was  very  comnnmicative  and,  on  putting 
to  him  the  usual  questions  as  to  liis  having  seen  'white  man' 
before,  or  any  ships  or  boats,  he  rei)lied  in  the  negative  ;  but 
-said  that  a  party  of  'Kabloomans'  had   di<'d  of  starvation 


i: 


|ti 


m 
id 


1H4 


TlIK    GREAT    WHITE    NORTH 


HI 

r  I* 


a  long  (listaiicc  to  tlu>  wost  of  wlicro  we  then  were,  and  beyond 
a  larjie  river.  lie  stated  that  he  (Ud  not  know  the  exact  place, 
that  he  never  had  heen  there,  and  that  he  could  not  accom- 
pany us  so  far.  The  substance  of  the  infonuation  then  and 
sul)se(iuently  obtained  from  various  sources  was  to  the  fol- 
lowinj;  et'f(>ct :  — 

"In  the  spring,  four  winters  past  (IS.'jO).  while  some  Eskimo 
families  were  killing  seals  near  the  north  shore  of  a  large  island, 
named  in  Arrowsmith's  charts  King  William's  Land,  about 
forty  white  men  were  seen  travelling  in  company  southward 
over  the  ice,  and  dragging  a  boat  and  sledges  with  them. 
They  were  passing  along  the  west  shore  of  tlu^  above-named 
island.  Xon(>  of  the  ])arty  could  speak  the  Eskimo  language 
so  well  as  to  be  understood,  but  by  signs  the  natives  were  led 
to  believe  that  the  sliij)  or  ships  had  been  crushed  by  ice, 
and  th(>y  were  now  going  to  where  they  expected  to  find  deer 
to  shoot.  From  the  apjx'arance  of  the  men  —  all  of  whom, 
with  the  (>xcei)tion  of  an  officer,  were  hauling  on  the  drag- 
ropes  of  the  sledge,  and  looked  thin  —  they  were  then  sup- 
posed to  be  gettitig  short  of  provisions ;  and  thej'  purchased 
a  small  seal,  or  pi(M'e  of  seal,  from  the  natives.  The  officer 
was  described  as  being  a  tall,  stout,  mid(Ue-aged  man.  When 
their  day's  journey  terminated,  they  pitched  tents  to  rest  in. 

"At  a  later  date,  the  same  season,  but  previous  to  the  dis- 
ruption of  the  ice,  the  corpses  of  some  thirty  persons  and  some 
graves  were  discovered  on  the  continent,  and  five  dead  bodies 
on  an  island  near  it,  about  a  long  day's  journey  to  the  north- 
west of  the  mouth  of  a  large  stream,  which  can  be  no  other 
than  Back's  (Jreat  Fish  River  (named  by  the  Eskimos  Oot- 
doo-hi-ca-lik),  as  its  description  and  that  of  the  low  shore  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Point  Ogle  and  Montreal  Island  agree 
exactly  with  that  of  Sir  George  Rack.  Some  of  the  bodies 
were  in  a  tent,  or  tents  ;  others  were  under  the  boat,  which 
had  been  turned  over  to  form  a  shelter  ;   and  some  lay  scat- 


TRACES    OF   SIU    JOHN    FllAyiiLlX 


is: 


tonnl  al)out  in  (lilTcrcnt  directions.  Of  thorso  .seen  on  the 
islund,  it  was  sui)pose(l  that  one  was  tiiat  of  an  officer  (chiefj, 
as  he  had  a  telescope  strajiix'd  over  liis  shoulders,  and  a 
double-bar reUed  j^ini  lay  underneath  him. 

"From  the  mutilated  state  of  many  of  the  l)odies  and  the 
contents  of  the  kettles,  it  is  evident  that  our  wretched  coun- 
trymen had  been  driven  to  the  dread  alternative  of  cannibal- 
ism as  a  means  of  sustaininj";  life.  A  few  of  the  unfortunate 
men  must  have  survived  until  the  arrival  of  the  wild-fowl  (stiy 
until  the  end  of  May),  as  shots  were  heard,  and  fresh  bones  and 
feathers  of  s<'<'s(>  were  noticed  near  the  scene  of  the  sad  event. 

"There  appears  to  have  been  an  abundant  store  of  ammu- 
nition, as  the  f>;un[)oW(ler  was  emptied  by  the  ixativ(>s  in  a 
heap  on  the  ground  out  of  the  kejis  or  cases  containinn  it, 
and  a  quantity  of  shot  and  ball  was  found  below  hish-water 
mark,  having  probably  be(>n  left  on  the  ice  close  to  the  beach 
before  the  spring  commenced.  There  must  have  been  a 
number  of  telescopes,  guns  (several  of  them  doubh^-barrelled), 
watches,  compasses,  etc.,  all  of  which  seem  to  have  IxM-n 
broken  up,  as  I  saw  pieces  of  these  dilTerent  articles  with  the 
natives,  and  I  purchased  as  many  as  possible,  together  with 
some  silver  spoons  and  forks,  an  Order  of  [Merit  in  the  form 
of  a  star,  and  a  small  silver  plate  engraved  'Sir  John  Franklin, 
K.(\B."' 

Following  closely  upon  the  return  of  Dr.  Rae  to  England, 
a  land  journey  was  undertaken  by  Mr.  James  Anderson  of 
the  Hudson  Ray  (^omj^any  to  follow  up  th(>  trail.  lie 
descended  the  Great  Fish  River  in  June,  185,'),  and  at  the 
rapids  below  Lake  Franklin,  three  Eskimo  huts  were  seen 
and  various  articles  were  fovmd  which  the  Eskimos  claimed 
were  obtained  from  a  boat  owned  by  white  men  who  had  died 
of  starvati(m.  These  articles  consisted  of  tent-jiolcs,  paddles, 
copper  and  sheet-iron  boilers,  tin  soup  tun^ens,  and  tools  of 
various  kinds. 


^'4 


'.<  I 


ih 


V.  , 


186 


Tin:  a  in:  AT   wiute  yourii 


M^ 


!) 


\  ' 


k     * 

f 
»     t 

«  ' 


Andorson  imslicd  on  to  Point  licaufort,  :im\  finally  roaohod 
^Montreal  Island.  There  other  articles  were  found,  such  as 
chain,  hooks,  tools,  rojx',  huntinji;;  the  name  "Mr.  Stanley" 
(surgeon  of  the  Krcbu.s)  was  rudely  carved  on  a  stick,  and  a 
piece  of  hoard  had  on  it  Terror.  Xu  signs  of  human  remains 
were  found,  however.  After  a  search  at  Point  Ogle,  where 
similar  articles  were  found.  .Vnderson's  party  returned  homo. 

Though  the  British  government  no  longer  desired  to  jMirsuo 
the  search,  Lady  Franklin,  whose  n^markable  tenacity  of 
pur])oso  and  loyal  devotion  had  awakened  so  nmch  admira- 
tion and  respect,  decided  to  expend  the  last  remnant  of  her 
fortune  to  outfit  the  small  screw  steamer  Fox  under  the  able 
direction  of  the  gallant  Al'Clintock,  aided  by  Lieutenant 
Ilobson,  and  send  it  to  solve  the  mystery  that  still  clung  about 
the  fate  of  her  beloved  husband. 

At  first  it  seemed  as  if  all  the  elements  had  conspired  to 
make  this  exiietUtion  a  failure,  for  in  the  summer  of  1857 
the  Fox  found  herself  drifting  at  the  mercy  of  the  ice  off 
Melville  B;iy,  and  after  a  dreary  winter  the  pack  had  carried 
her  nearly  twelve  hundred  geograjjhical  miles  in  the  Atlantic. 
Not  until  April  2'),  18").S,did  the  /-'orget  free,  and  then,  securing 
such  stores  tmd  provisions  as  could  bo  procured  at  the  small 
Danish  settlement  of  Ilolstenburg,  she  sailed  into  Barrow 
Strait. 

Early  the  following  spring  parties  under  M'f'lintock  and 
Lieutenant  Ilobson  undertook  two  sledge  journeys.  At 
C'ajx'  \'ictoria  on  the  southwest  coast  of  Boothia,  they  fell 
in  with  Eskimos,  who  informed  them  that  some  years  back 
a  large  shi]i  had  been  crushed  in  the  ice  out  in  the  sea  west  of 
King  AVilliam  Land. 

On  .April  20,  they  again  met  these  same  Eskimos,  who 
informed  them  with  great  reluctance  that  a  second  ship  had 
been  forced  on  shore,  where  they  sujjposed  she  still  remained, 
but  much  lirokcn.     They  added  tliat  it  was  in  the  fall  of  the 


TUI-:    FOX  S    VOYAUK    INDKR    M  CLiyTOCK 


1.S7 


yoar,  that  is,  August  or  Scptcnibcr,  when  the  sliij)s  were  dc- 
stroycd  ;  that  all  the  white  jjcoph'  hiiulcd  safely  and  went 
away  to  the  (Jreat  Fish  River,  takiiijj;  a  l)oat  or  boats  with 
tlieiii.  Tlie  hjllowinjf  year  their  hones  were  found  uj)()n  tlie 
traih  M'(  'lintoek  and  Hobson  sejiarated  ui)on  reaching  ( "ajie 
Vietoria,  and  the  former  took  u])  the  seareh  of  the  east  coast 
in  a  southerh  (Urection,  while  Hobson  made  a  diligent  exam- 
ination of  the  western  coast. 

On  May  7,  IS")!),  M'( 'lintoek  writes  :  — 

"To  avoid  snow-blindness,  we  commenced  night  marching. 
Crossing  over  from  Malty  Island  towards  the  King  William 
Land  shore,  we  continued  our  march  southward  until  mid- 
night, when  we  had  the  good  fortune  to  arrive  at  an  inhabited 
snow-village.  We  found  here  ten  or  twelve  huts  and  thirty 
or  forty  natives  of  King  William  Island  ;  I  do  not  think 
any  of  them  had  ever  seen  white  p'H)ple  aliv(>  before,  but  they 
evidently  knew  us  to  1)e  friends.  We  halted  at  a  little  dis- 
tance, and  pitched  our  tent,  the  better  to  secure  small  articles 
from  l)eing  stolen  whilst  we  l)arter(>d  with  them. 

"I  i)urchased  from  them  six  pieces  of  silver  plate,  bearing 
the  crests  or  initials  of  Franklin,  Crozier,  Fairholme,  and 
McDonald  ;  they  also  sold  us  bows  and  arrows  of  English 
woods,  imiform  and  otluT  buttons,  and  offered  us  a  heavy 
sledge  made  of  two  sliort  stout  pieces  of  curv(>d  wood,  which 
no  mere  boat  could  hav(>  fnrnish(>d  them  with,  l)ut  this,  of 
course,  we  could  not  take  away  ;  the  silver  spoons  and  forks 
were  readily  sold  for  four  needles  each. 

"Having  obtainetl  all  the  relics  they  possessed,"  continues 
MTlintock,  "I  jiurchased  some  seal's  flesh,  blubb<>r,  frozen 
venison,  dried  and  frozen  salmon,  and  sold  some  of  my 
puppies.  They  told  us  it  was  five  days'  journey  to  the  wreck, 
one  day  up  the  inlet  still  in  sight,  and  four  days  overland  ; 
this  would  cany  tliem  to  the  western  coast  of  King  William 
Land  ;  they  added  that  but  little  now  remained  of  the  wreck 


II 


i<f' 


*l 


!i 


'1 


i 


^  ■ 


1.S8 


mi-:  (iiiiJAT  WHITE  south 


wliicl)  WHS  acn'ssililo.  ihcir  count lyiiicii  liaviiin  carried  almost 
cvciytliinn  away,  lii  answer  to  an  in(|uiry,  they  said  she 
was  without  masts;  tlie  <iuestion  ^iiw  rise  to  some  hiuj!;hter 
aiuon<i;st  them,  and  tiiey  siudvc  to  each  other  al»out  fire, 
from  which  Peterson  thoufiht  they  had  burnt  tiie  masts 
throujih  close  to  the  (h'ck  in  order  to  {jet  them  down. 

"There  had  heen  iiuitin  IxioLs,  ihcy  said,  hut  all  have  Ions 
a^o  heen  de.-troyed  hy  the  weather;  the  shi])  was  forced  on 
shore  in  the  fall  of  the  year  hy  the  ice.  She  had  not  heen 
visited  durinj!;  the  past  winter,  and  an  (dd  woman  and  a  hoy 
were  shown  to  r.s  who  were  the  last  to  visit  the  wreck  ;  they 
sal.  they  had  heen  at  it  durin<>-  the  winter  of  ISoT-lSoS. 
Peterson  (luestioned  the  woman  closely,  and  she  seemed 
anxious  to  ;;ive  all  the  information  in  her  power.  She  said 
many  of  the  white  men  droi)i)ed  hy  the  way  as  they  went  to 
the  (Jreat  Iliver  ;  that  some  were  hurled  and  some  were  not  ; 
they  did  not  themselves  witness  this;  hut  discovered  their 
bodies  during;  the  winter  following;. 

"We  could  not  arrive  at  any  approximation  of  tli(>  num- 
Ix'rs  (jf  the  white  m(>n  nor  of  the  years  elai)sed  since  they  were 
lost.     This  was  all  the  information  we  could  obtain." 

\'isitin}>;  the  shore  alonj;-  which  the  retreating  crews  must 
have  marched,  he  came  shortly  after  midnijiht  May  24,  when 
slowly  walking  alonj^  a  j>;ravel  ridfz;e  near  the  beach  which  the 
wind-;  kept  partially  bare  of  snow,  ujion  a  human  skeleton, 
partly  exposed,  with  here  and  there  a  few  fragments  of  clot h- 
in«>  app(>arin^r  through  the  snow.  "The  skeleton  —  n«w 
I)erfe<-tly  bleached  —  was  lyin}>;  upon  its  face,  the  limbs  and 
small(>r  bones  either  di.ssevered  or  gnawed  away  by  .small 
animals.  "' 

"A  most  careful  examination  of  the  spot,"  writes  ArClin- 
tock.  "was,  of  course,  made,  the  snow  removed,  and  every 
sera])  (»f  clothinu;  .withered  up.  A  ])ocket-book  afforded 
stronti-  urounds  of  ho])e  that  some  information  mi<;ht  be  sub- 


77//-;  FOA  s  ror.if./;  rM)i:ii  m  cLiyKx  k 


l«l» 


soquciitly  ohtuiiuHl  rcsjx'ctinK  the  utifortuiuitc  owikt  and  tlic 
cuhimitous  inarcli  of  the  lost  crews,  hut  at  the  tiiiic  it  was 
frozen  hard.  Tlie  suljstance  of  that  whicli  we  gleaned  upon 
the  spot  may  thus  he  summed  up  :  — 

"This  vietim  was  a  younfj;  man  slightly  huilt,  and  perhaj)s 
ahove  the  eonnnon  height;  the  dress  ajjpeared  to  l)e  tliat  of 
u  steward  or  officer's  s(>rvant,  the  loose  how-knot  in  which 
his  neck-handkerchief  was  tied  not  heing  used  hy  seamen  or 
officers.  In  every  particular  the  dnvss  confirmed  our  conjec- 
tures as  to  his  rank  or  office  in  the  late  expedition,  —  tlie  hlue 
jacket  with  shushed  sleeves  an<l  l)raided  edging,  an<l  the  ])ilot- 
C'loth  great-coat  with  })lain  covchmI  huttons.  We  found,  also, 
a  dothes-hrush  near,  and  a  horn  pocket-ccmih.  This  poor 
man  seems  to  have  selected  the  hare  ridge  top,  as  affording 
the  least  tiresome  walking,  and  to  have  fallen  upon  his  face 
in  the  jMJsition  in  wliich  we  found  him.  It  was  a  melancholy 
truth  that  the  old  woman  spoke  when  she  said  'they  fell 
down  and  died  as  they  walked  along.'" 

At  Cape  Hersclu'l  a  cairn  was  foimd  all  hut  d(  inolished  hy 
the  natives,  and  greatly  to  the  disa])pointment  of  M'Clintock 
no  record  of  any  kind  was  discovered. 

"I  noticed  with  great  care,"  he  writes,  "the  appearance 
of  the  stones,  and  canie  to  the  conclusion  that  the  cairn  itself 
was  of  old  dat(>,  and  had  heen  erected  many  years  ago,  and 
that  it  was  reduced  to  the  state  in  which  we  found  it  hy  jieoph; 
having  hroken  down  one  side  of  it  ;  the  displaced  stones,  from 
heing  turned  over,  looking  far  more  fresh  than  those  in  that 
portion  of  the  cairn  which  had  heen  left  standing.  It  was  with 
a  feeling  of  deep  regret  and  much  disappointment  that  I  left 
tliis  spot  without  finding  some  certain  record  of  thos(>  martjTS 
to  their  coimtry's  fame.  Perhaps  in  all  the  wide  world  there 
will  he  few  sjwts  more  hallowed  in  the  recollection  of  English 
seamen  than  this  cairn  on  Capo  Herschel. 

"A  few  miles  Ijeyond  Cape  Herschel  the  land  hoconies  very 


li 


I 


i 


:| 


!i 


'A 


:  .  J:.- 


« 

I 

f' 

\ 

n, 


\  ' 


6  ' 


190 


Till-:  i;i!i:at  white  sonrii 


low  ;  miiny  islets  and  sliin^lc-ridfics  lit-  far  olT  the  coast  ;  and 
lis  we  advaiicrd  \vt'  met  with  huniiiiocks  of  unusually  heavy 
ice,  .showinji;  plainly  tiiat  we  were  now  travelling;  ui)on  a  far 
more  exposed  part  «if  the  roast -line.  We  were  api)roachin>i 
a  spot  where  u  revelation  of  intense  interest  was  uwaitinjj; 
me. 

"AI)OUt  twelve  miles  from  ("apo  Ilerschel  I  found  a  small 
cairn  huilt  by  IIol)son's  i)arly,  containing;  a  note  for  me. 
He  had  reaelu'd  this  his  extreme  i)oint,  six  days  jjreviously, 
without  having;  seen  aiiythinj;  of  the  wreck,  or  tif  natives, 
but  he  had  found  a  record  —  the  record  so  ardently  sought  for 
—  of  the  1"  anklin  expedition  -at  Point  Victory,  on  the 
northwest  coast  of  Kinj;  William  Lan<l.  That  record  is 
indeed  a  sad  and  touching  relic  of  our  lost  friends,  and,  to 
simi)lify  its  contents,  1  will  point  out  .separately  the  double 
story  it  .so  brielly  tells. 

"In  the  first  place,  the  record  paper  was  one  of  the  printed 
forms  usually  sui)i)lieil  to  discovery  ships  for  the  jmrpose  of 
being  enclosed  in  botth's  and  thrown  overboard  at  sea,  in 
order  to  asi-ertain  the  set  of  th(>  currents,  blanks  Ix'ing  left 
for  the  date  and  i)osition  ;  any  ])(  rson  finding  one  of  these 
records  i.s  requestecl  to  forward  it  to  the  Secretary  of  th(> 
Admiralty,  with  a  note  of  time  and  place  ;  and  this  request 
is  printed  upon  it  in  six  different  languages.  Upon  it  was 
written,  apparently  bv  Lieutenant  (lore,  as  follows:  — 

o,-      *    *  wmtered  m  the  ice  m  lat.  /U 
'O-VX.  ;  long.  9S°  23' W. 
'"Having  wintered  in   184G-7,  at   Be(>chey  Island,  in  lat. 
71°  V.V  28"  N..  long.  91°  39'  b')"  W.,  after  having  ascended 
Wellington  Channel  to  lat.  77°  and  returned  by  the  wesst  side 
of  Cornwallis  Island. 

'"Sir  .lohn  Franklin  commanding  the  expedition. 
'"All  well. 


rm:  fox's  voy.uik  isdeu  mlliskx  k      iiti 

'"Parly  consisting  of  2  ofliccrs  and  ti  men  Kit  tiic  sluj)s  on 
Monday,  2itli  May,  IS  17. 

"  '( Ini.  (lore,  Lieut. 
'"(lias.  r.  Drs  Vo'iLX.  Mate.' 

"There  is  an  error  in  the  ai)ove  dcjcuinent,  namely,  that  tlie 
Eri'hiis  and  Tvrror  wintered  at  Heeciiey  Island  in  IS  Hi  7  — 
the  correet  dates  should  have  been  IVl,')  tl;  a  glance  at  the 
(hite  at  the  top  and  holtoni  ol"  the  record  proves  this,  i)Ut  in 
all  other  respects  the  tale  is  told  in  as  few  words  as  possilile, 
of  their  wonderful  success  up  to  that  date,  May,  1S17. 

"We  find  that  after  the  last  intelli^-cnce  of  Sir.Iohn  Franklin 
was  received  l>y  us  (hearin-j;  date  of  .July,  IS}.")),  from  the 
whalers  in  Melville  Hay,  that  his  exj)edition  passed  on  to 
Lancaster  Sound,  and  entered  Wellinjiton  Channel,  of  which 
the  southern  entrance  had  heen  discovered  hy  Sir  Edward 
Parry  in  IHl!).  The  Krchii^  and  Tar,,)-  sailed  up  that  strait 
for  one  hundred  and  fifty  inih's,  and  reached  in  the  autumn 
of  18t.')  the  same  latitU(h>  as  was  attained  ei<iht  years  suhse- 
(juently  hy  H.  ^L  S.  AssisUuur  and  I'iomn:  A\'heth(>r  Frank- 
lin intench'd  to  ])ursue  this  northern  course,  and  was  only 
stopped  hy  ice  in  that  latitude  of  77°  north,  or  jHirposely 
relinquished  a  route  which  seemed  to  lead  away  from  the 
known  seas  off  the  coast  of  America,  nnist  he  a  matter  of 
oi)inion  ;  hut  this  document  assures  us  that  Sir  .lohn  Frank- 
lin's oxiwdition,  having  accomplished  this  examination, 
returned  southward  from  latitude  77°  nortli,  which  is  at  th.e 
head  of  Wellin,u,ton  Channel,  and  re-entered  Barrow's  Strait 
by  a  new  cluimiel  l)etween  Bathhurst  and  C\)nnvallis  L>«lands. 

"Seldom  has  such  success  heen  accorded  to  an  Arctic 
navigator  in  a  sinole  season,  and  when  the  Erebus  and  Terror 
were  secured  at  Beechey  JAiind  for  the  coming  \\-int(>r  of 
L8i5-{),  the  results  of  their  first  year's  lahor  must  have  heeu 
most  eheerincj.  These  results  were  the  exploration  of  Wel- 
lington and  Queen's  Channel,  and  the  addition  to  our  charts 


1* 


1    ' 


r, 


m 


it 


ft: 


-    IF  4 

It 
3 


III 

t! 


H 


ll»2 


'/■///•;  '.uKAT   't  /////; 


»/.'77/ 


—  -    -  — n 


ii 


^r^    '  •  ■-■    t- 


•/y 


yuZMZ. 


Wiain>  Gndt  thu  ptptr  ii  requctc.i  to  f-jiwt,  i  ;i  .-i  t!;;-  'nrcury  of  /    y '  T 


the  AdtniraJty,  London,  triM  <»  nrf/  of  'V  /i-v  .aW  ^i«-r  .j/  u  r^  i/  w«r^N  J  -^ 
/jMtJ :  or,  if  more  con«nient,  to  deliver  it  for  that  purpose  t.i  the  BntulTS  ^  'j  ^ 
Contul  tt  the  ocarctt  Port.  ^   ^    {^ 

QoiHcoNQDt  trouvera  ce  papier  «!  p'i«  J'y  mirtjurr  U  (emi  et  lieu  cut  '^  ^j.* 
U  Ttura  trouvc*  tt  de  Ic  fkire  pftrveoir  au  plutot  au  Setireuirc  dc  rAiniraiOc^  'ytl  ^ 
BnUonique  ^  Loadrd^  '  f  .^      t  ^  ^ 

CuAif^cilt  A  que  hallare  e»te  Papel,  %e  le  suplica  de  enviarlo  al  Secrctar©^     I '  Im 
ea  Lcndrei,  con  una  nota  del  tiempo  y  del  lugar^    ■i'*^siL 


del   Almiraniazgo, 
dondc  K  htlid. 


J 


i^ 


crJt  hicrmcJc  vtrzogt,  om  hfk^  ^ 

rff   Miniiiicr   van  at'     (    '-^ 
un  den  Sccretari"  d'^.^JjW 


V^ 


vocgen   eene    Notafl  Jj  ^j  , 


Eiw  iedcr  die  die  Papier  mogt  vindcn 
^     J     i     'elve,  ten  ipoedigste,  te  wi.lcn   zcnJcn   aan  den   Hi 
i  .^  ^    ^    ,  Marine  der   NcdcrUniltn  m    s  (Jia.tnlugr,  I'f  Wll  a 
i  -ii/      a      Bntsche   Admiraliteit,  tc    London,   en    djar    by  tc 
j^  "^Tj     l^^lnboudinde  de  (yd  en  de  (.laat.  alwaar  del  Papier  is  gevondcn  geworden.^ 

>-*!^    I  FlKDtttH  »f  dette    Papiir  omhedts.  naar    Leilighed    glrel,    al   icnde  J  .J^t 

•      3     J    1      ranune  III  Admiralitetj  Sccreiaireni  U'njL.n,  elUr  rcirmeslc  F.mbedsmand      • 
•J     JS>      i,D>niiurk,  Njrge,  eller  Sviing.     Tidcn  og  SlteJu  h»or  delte  er  fundel 
I^  j^  6n&ket  vcnakabcljgt  pftategnct. 

/^  Wt«  dieKn   Zeltel  findel,  wird  hier-durch  eriucht  dentelhen  an  den 

J    i      Secreliir  da  Admiraliieu  in  Umdon  einzusenden,  mil  gelalligcr  angibe 
M      ^"^    an  welchen  ort  und  zu  wclther  zeit  er  gefundet  worden  lit.  />  O     ""*    ^    C   ■* 


<ll;    .IcilIN     1   l(  WKI.In's    Kl.lOHl). 


UHJOUl)    OF    FUAyKLiy\s    KXl'KhlTloS 


VM 


(if  fill'  ('Xt<'iisivf  lands  on  cither  hand.  In  IMCi,  they  piu- 
cfcdcd  to  the  southwot,  and  eventually  reached  within  twelve 
jiiiicsol'  tiu-  north  extreme  ot  Kinj;  William  Land,  when  their 
progress  wu.s  arn-sted  by  the  api)roachmj;  winter  of  lSl(i-7. 
That  winter  appears  to  have  passed  without  any  serious  loss 
of  life,  and  when  in  the  sijrinu,  Lieutenant  (lore  leaves  with  a 
j)arty  t"or  some  esiM-cial  purpose,  and  very  probably  to  connect 
the  unknown  coast-line  of  Kiiif;  William  Land  between  I'oint 
\'ictory  and  (ape  Ilerschel,  those  on  boani  the  Euhus  and 
Tirriir  were  'all  well,'  and  the  gallant  Franklin  still  com- 
manded. 

"Hut,  alas!  rovm<l  the  margin  of  the  paper  upon  which 
Lieutenant  (lore  in  1S47  wrote  those  words  of  hope  :'nd  prom- 
ise,  another  hanil   had   subse(iuently   written  the  following 

wortls :  — 

"'Ai)ril  2.'),  1848. —  H.  AL  ships  Terror  and  Erchun  were 
deserted  on  the  22d  April,  5  leagxies  N.N.W.  of  this,  having 
been  be.set  since  12th  September,  184().  The  officers  and 
crews,  consisting  of  10.')  souls,  imder  the  command  of  Captain 
F.  H.  AL  Crozier,  landed  her(>  in  hit.  m°  37'  42"  N.,  long.  08° 
41'  W.  Sir  John  Franklin  died  on  the  11th  June,  1847  ;  and 
the  total  loss  by  tleaths  in  the  expedition  has  been  to  this  date 
9  officers  and  lo  men. 

" '  (Signed) 
'"F.  R.  AL  C'rozier  James  FitzjaniPi?, 

"'(\iptain  and  Senior  Officer,        Captain  II.  M.  S.  Erebus, 
'"and  start  (on)  tomorrow,  2Gth  for 
Back's  Fish  River.' 

"This  marginal  information  was  evidently  written  by 
Cai)tain  Fitzjames,  excepting  only  the  note  .-.tating  when 
and  wh(>re  they  were  going,  which  was  added  by  Captain 
Crozier. 

"X}j(.5-o  is  some  additional  m.-irginal  infornuiti'>u  rela- 
tive to  the  transfer  of  the  tlocument  to  its  present  position 


; 


|» 


1 1 


w 


1 


"  I- 

llM. 
if  •  f 


u 


f:'     r 


1!U 


7//f;  GiiKAT   wnfi-'  youru 


(viz.  tlic  site  of  Sir  Janics  Rchs's  jMllar)  from  a  spot  four  milos 
to  the  iiortliward  near  I'oint  \ictory,  wlicro  it  had  Ix'cii  orig- 
inally deposited  \>y  the  late  ("otnmaiidcr  (Jore.  Tiiis  little 
word  Idle  shows  that  lie,  too,  within  tlie  twelvemonth  iiutl 
passed  away. 

"Ill  the  short  space  of  twelve  months,  how  mournful  had 
hecoiiie  the  history  of  Franklin's  exjM-dition  ;  how  chanj^ed 
from  the  cheerful  '.Ml  well'  of  (iraham  (lore  !  The  spriiifj;  of 
1S47  found  them  within  90  miles  of  the  known  sea  otl"  the 
coast  of  America  ;  and  to  men  who  had  already  in  two  season.s 
sailed  over  oOO  iiiihvs  of  ))reviously  unexi)lored  waters,  how 
confident  must  they  have  felt  that  that  forthcoming  naviftahlo 
season  of  IS  17  would  see  their  ships  pass  over  so  short  an  inter- 
veniii}--  space  !  It  was  ruled  otherwise.  Within  a  month 
after  Lieutenant  (lore  i)laced  the  record  on  Point  Victory, 
the  much-loved  leadfT  of  the  exjM'dition,  Sir  John  Franklin, 
was  dead;  and  the  following?  sprinfj;  found  Captain  Crozier, 
ui)()ii  whom  the  conmiand  had  devolved  at  King  William 
Land,  endeavcjrinfj;  to  save  his  starving  men,  lOo  souls  in  all, 
from  a  terril)l(>  death  hy  retreating  to  Hudson  Bay  territories 
uj)  the  Hack  or  (ireat  Fish  River. 

"A  sadder  tale  was  never  told  in  fewer  words.  There  is 
something  dcei)ly  touching  in  their  extreme  simi)licity,  and 
they  show  in  the  strongest  manner  that  both  the  leaders  in 
this  retreating  party  were  actuated  by  the  loftiest  sense  of 
duty  and  met  with  calmness  and  decision  the  fearful  alter- 
native of  a  last  l)()Id  struggle  for  life,  rather  than  perish  with- 
out effort  on  hoard  their  ships;  for  we  well  know  that  the 
Knhus  and  Terror  were  only  provisioned  up  to  July,  1848." 

M'Clintock's  ])arty  were  now  running  short  of  provisions, 
hut  the  finding  of  such  important  relics  th't(>rmined  the  lemh-r 
to  pursue  the  search  to  the  uttermost  limits  of  his  powers. 

On  May  M)  he  writes:  "We  encamped  alongside  a  largo 
boat  —  another  mtluncholy  relic  which  Iloboon  had  found 


SLEDGE   JOriiXEYS 


195 


and  examined  a  few  days  before,  as  his  note  left  liere  informed 
nie  ;  but  he  had  failed  to  (HseoviT  record,  journal,  pocket- 
book,  or  nieinoranduni  of  any  description.  A  vast  quantity 
of  tattered  clothing  was  lyinR  in  her,  and  this  we  first  exam- 
ined. Not  a  sinj^le  article  bore  the  name  of  its  former  owner. 
The  boat  was  cleared  out  and  carefully  swept  that  nofhinjj; 
mi^ht  e.scape  us.  The  snow  was  then  removed  frcm  about 
her,  but  nothinji  whatever  was  found." 

After  a  detailed  description  of  this  boat,  its  weight,  con- 
struction, and  marks,  etc.,  M'Clintock  continues:  — 

"Hut  all  these  were  after  observations  ;  there  was  that  in 
the  boat  which  transfixed  us  with  awe.  It  was  ])()rtions  f)f  two 
human  skeletons.  One  was  that  of  a  slight  young  person  ; 
the  other  of  a  larj^e,  .stronsly  made,  middle-aged  man.  The 
formiT  was  found  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  but  in  too  nnich  dis- 
turl)ed  a  state  to  enable  Hobson  to  judge  whether  the  sufferer 
had  died  there  ;  large  and  powerful  animals,  jirobably  wolves, 
ad  destroyed  nmch  of  this  skeleton,  which  may  have  been 
that  of  an  officer.  Near  it  we  found  the  fragments  of  a  pair 
of  work(>d  >iippers,  of  which  I  give  the  pattern,  as  they  may 
possibly  be  identified.  The  lines  w(>re  white,  with  a  l)lack 
margin  ;  the  spaces  white,  red.  and  y(>llow.  They  had  orig- 
inally been  11  inches  long,  lined  with  calf-skin  with  the  hair 
left  on,  and  the  edges  bound  with  red  silk  ribbon.  Besides 
these  slippers  there  were  a  pair  of  small  strong  shooting 
half-boots. 

"The  other  skeleton  was  in  somewhat  more  perfect  .state, 
and  was  enveloped  with  clothes  an.!  furs  ;  it  lay  across  the 
boat,  under  the  after-thwart.  ('los(»  Ix'side  it  were  foun<l 
five  watches  ;  and  there  were  two  double-barrelled  guns  — 
one  barrel  in  (>ach  loaded  and  cocked  —  standing  muzzle 
upwards  against  the  boat's  side.  It  may  be  imagined  with 
what  deep  interest  these  sad  relics  were  scrutinized,  and  how 
anxiously  every   fragment  of  clothing  was   turned  over   in 


If., 


r 

1'  i«" 


t, 

r 


S 


B:1 


i! 


■_  I 


t!,  *: 


11 

i  »' 

;♦ 

•    '  '■  : 

i "    * 

M- 

fH 

1110 


THE    fiREAT     WHITE    SOUTH 


search  of  pockets  and  pocket-hooks,  journals,  or  ev(>n  names. 
Kive  or  six  small  hooks  were  found,  all  of  them  scriptural  or 
devotional  works,  except  the  'Vicar  of  Wakefield.'  One 
little  hook,  'Christian  Melodies,'  hore  an  inscrii)ti(m  upon 
the  title  pa^e  from  the  donor  to  (1.  (J.  ((iraham  Core?).  A 
small  Hihle  contained  numerous  marginal  notes,  and  whole 
passages  underlined.  Hesides  these  hooks,  the  covers  of  a 
New  Testament   and  Prayerhook  were  found. 

"  (Quantities  of  clothiny;  and  other  articles  were  of  one  de- 
scription and  another  truly  astonishing;  in  variety  and  such 
as.  for  the  most  i)art,  modern  sled«>;e-travellers  in  lhe.se  re- 
gions would  consider  a  mere  accumulation  of  dead  weight." 

The  only  provisions  that  were  discovered  were  a  little  tea 
and  nearly  forty  i)ounds  of  chocolate  ;  a  small  portion  of 
tobacco  was  also  found. 

The  jxtsition  of  the  abandoned  boat  was  about  fifty  miles 
as  a  sl(>(lo;e  would  travel  from  Point  \'ictory,  and  therefore 
sixty-five  miles  from  the  position  of  the  ships,  also  seventy 
miles  from  the  skeleton  of  the  steward,  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  from  Montreal  Island.  "A  little  refiection," 
writes  M'Clintock,  "led  me  to  satisfy  my  own  mind  at 
least,  that  the  boat  was  returning  to  the  ships;  and  in  no 
other  way  can  I  account  for  two  men  having  been  left  in  her, 
than  by  supposing  the  party  were  imable  to  drag  the  boat 
further,  and  that  these  two  men,  not  b(>ing  able  to  keep  pace 
with  their  shipmates,  were  therefore  left  by  them  supplied 
with  such  provisions  as  could  bo  .spared  to  last  until  the 
return  of  the  others  from  the  ship  with  a  fresh  stock. 

"  Whether  it  was  the  intention  of  the  retroceding  party 
to  await  th(>  result  of  another  season  in  the  ships,  or  to  follow 
the  track  of  the  main  body  to  the  Creat  Fish  Hiver,  is  now  a 
matter  of  conjecture.  It  .seems  highly  probable  that  they 
had  purposed  revisiting  the  boat,  not  only  on  account  of  the 
two  men  left  in  charge  of  it,  but  als(j  to  obtiiin  i\w  chocolate, 


SLEDGE   .loritNEi'S 


101 


the  five  watches,  and  many  other  articles  which  would  other- 
wise scarcely  have  been  left  in  her. 

"The  same  reasons  which  may  be  assigned  for  the  return 
of  this  detachment  from  the  main  boily,  will  also  serve  to 
account  for  their  not  having  come  back  to  their  boat.  h\ 
both  instances  they  ujjpear  to  have  greatly  overrated  their 
strength,  and  the  distance  they  could  travel  in  a  given  time. 
"Taking  this  view  of  the  case,  wo  can  understand  why 
their  jirovisions  would  not  last  them  for  anything  like  the 
distance  they  reciuired  to  travel,  and  why  they  would  be 
obliged  to  send  back  to  the  ships  for  more,  first  taking  from 
the  <letachetl  party  all  provisions  they  could  possibly  sjiare. 
Whether  all  or  any  of  the  remainiler  of  this  detached  party 
ever  reached  their  shii)s  is  uncertain  ;  all  we  know  is,  that 
they  did  not  revisit  the  boat,  which  accounts  for  the  ab- 
sence of  more  skeletons  in  its  neighborhood  :  and  the  Escjui- 
mos  report  that  there  was  no  one  alive  in  the  ship  when  she 
drifted  on  shore,  and  that  but  one  human  botly  was  found 
by  them  on  board  of  her. 

"After  leaving  the  boat  we  followed  an  irregular  coast -line 
to  the  X.  and  N.W.,  up  to  a  very  i)rominent  cape,  which  is 
probably  the  extreme  of  land  seen  from  Point  Victory  by  Sir 
James  Ross,  and  named  by  him  Point  Franklin,  which  name, 
as  a  cape,  it  still  retains." 

"I  need  hardly  say,"  concludes  M'Clintock,  "that  through- 
out the  whoUi  of  my  journey  along  the  shores  of  King  Wil- 
liam Land  I  caused  a  most  vigilant  look(iUt  to  l)e  kept  to 
seaward  for  any  appearance  of  the  stranded  ship  spoken  of  by 
the  natives  ;  our  search  was,  however,  fruitless  in  that  respect." 
Of  Lieutenant  Hobson's  most  careful  and  thorough  search, 
M'Clintock  writes:  "lie  exercised  his  discretionary  power 
with  sound  judgment,  and  completed  his  search  so  well,  that 
in  coming  over  the  same  ground  after  him,  I  could  not  dis- 
cover any  trace  that  had  escaped  him." 


^i 


I 


li. 

I 


m 


11)8 


THE    GliEAT    WHITE   NORTH 


On  tho  19th  of  June,  M'Clintock  once  more  reached  the 
I'lKV,  where  he  foiiiul  Hol)son,  who  had  preceded  him  Ijyfive 
lUiys,  sick  and  unable  to  walk,  having?  been  dragged  upon 
the  sledge  for  the  best  part  of  his  return  journey. 

A  third  sledging  i)arty  under  Captain  Young,  which  I  1 
left  the  7th  of  April,  was  still  in  the  field,  and  M'Clin  jk 
began  to  feel  so  great  anxiety  for  their  safety  that  by  the 
2r)th  of  June  he  set  out  with  four  men  to  search  for  them. 
"On  the  27th,"  he  writes,  "1  sent  three  of  the  men  back  to 
the  ship,  and  with  Thompson  and  the  dogs  went  on  to  Pem- 
niican  Rock,  where,  to  our  great  joy,  we  happily  met  Young 
and  his  jKirty,  who  had  but  just  returned  there,  after  a  long 
and  successful  journey." 

It  may  be  i)rieHy  stated  that  Young  was  in  tlie  field  seventy- 
eight  days  under  most  trying  circumstances.  Crossing 
Franklin  Stiai.  to  Prince  of  Wales  Land,  he  traced  its  shores 
to  its  southern  termination  at  Cape  Swinburne.  He  failed  in 
an  attempt  to  cross  M'Clintock  Channel,  owing  to  the  rough 
ice,  l)ut  he  completed  the  explorations  of  this  coast  beyond 
Osborn's  farthest  to  nearly  73°  N.,  also  (exploring  l){)th  shores 
of  Franklin  Strait  between  the  fox  and  Ross'.s  farthest  in  1849 
and  Brown's  in  18ol. 

The  return  of  the  Fox  to  England  was  not  accomplished 
without  difficulty,  owing  to  the  death  of  the  engineer,  which 
ol)liged  M'Clintock  to  stand  by  the  engine  no  less  than 
twenty-four  consecutive  hours,  on  one  occasion.  However, 
they  reached  Portsmouth,  September  24,  1859. 

"Th(>  relics  we  have  brought  home,"  writes  Captain 
M'Clintock,  in  conclusion,  "have  been  deposited  by  the  Ad- 
miralty in  the  United  Service  Institution,  and  now  form  a 
national  memento  —  the  tnost  simple  and  most  touching  — 
of  those  heroic  men  who  perished  in  the  path  of  duty,  but  not 
until  they  had  achieved  the  grand  object  of  their  voyage,  — 
the  Discoverv  of  the  North-West  Pa.ssage." 


CHAPTER  XI 

The  second  Grinnoll  expedition.  Commanded  by  Dr.  Elisha  K. 
Kane. —Winter  quarters  in  Rensselaer  Ilarlwur.  —  Sledsinp; 
trips. — To  the  reseue.  —  KtTects  of  exhaustion  and  cold.  — Dr. 
Kane's  journey. —  Clreat  (Jlacier  of  Humboldt.  —  llcturn  and 
illness  of  Dr.  Kane.  — Second  winter  in  the  iee.  —  Privinions  and 
suffering.  —  Abandonment  of  the  .l</ra/(a'.  —Retreat  and  rescue. 

Mention  has  already  boon  made  of  the  second  Griniu'll 
expedition,  commanded  l)y  Dr.  Kane  and  financed  by  Mr. 
Grinnell  and  Mr.  Peabody  of  London.  Dr.  Kane's  instruc- 
tions from  the  Navy  Department  at  Washington,  dated 
November  27,  ISo'i,  read  as  follows  :  — 

"Sik:  — Lady  Franklin  having  urged  you  to  undertake  a 
search  for  her  husl)and,  Sir  John  Franklin,  and  his  eomi)an- 
ions,  and  a  vess(>l,  the  Advance,  having  been  plac(>d  at  your 
disposition  by  Mr.  Grinnell,  you  are  hereby  assigned  to 
special  duty  for  the  purpose  of  conducting  an  overland  jotir- 
neyfroin  the  upper  waters  of  Baffin's  Bay  to  the  shores  of  the 
Polar  Seas. 

"Relying  upon  your  zeal  and  (Uscretion,  the  Department 
sends  you  forth  upon  an  tmdertaking  which  will  be  attended 
with  great  peril  and  (>xposure.  Trusting  that  you  will  be 
sustained  by  the  laudable  object  in  view,  and  wishing  you 
success  and  a  safe  return  to  yotir  friends,  I  am, 

"Respectfully,  your  obedu^nt  servant, 

"John  P.  Kennedy. 

"Passed  Assistant  Surgeon  E.  K.  Kane, 
"United  States  Navy,  Philadelphia." 
The  small  brig  Adrancc,  one  hundred  and  forty-tons'  bur- 

199 


* 


.  < 


!i 


>) 


P 


I'OO 


Tin:  <:nK.\T   white  yoimi 


(Icn.  with  scvciitccii  pick(>(l  men  lu'sidcs  the  connnandcr, 
sailed  troiii  New  York  on  tlu>  ;}()tli  of  M;iy.  18"):i,  "escorted 
l)y  sevend  noble  steiiniers  ;  and,  pMssinj?  slowly  on  to  tlie 
Narrows  amid  salutes  and  eheers  of  farewell." 

At  the  end  of  eighteen  days  the  Advance  liad  reached  St. 
John's,  Newfoundland,  where  (lovernor  Hamilton,  a  brother 
to  the  secretary  of  the  IJritish  Admiralty,  antl  other  officials, 
combined  with  the  inhabitants  to  welcome  the  exju'dition. 
rpon  sailins  once  more.  Dr.  Kane  was  presented  with  a 
noble  team  of  Newfoundland  dops,  the  j^ift  of  the  governor. 

The  Advance  reached  Baffin  Bay  without  incident,  and  a 
few  days  later  found  her  ofT  the  coast  of  Greenland,  making 
her  way  to  Fisdernaes,  which  was  reached  the  1st  of  July,  — 
"amid  the  clamor  of  its  entire  iX)pulation,  assembled  on 
the  rock  to  sreet  us." 

Here  a  native  Eskimo,  Hans  Christiansen,  was  engaged  as 
interpreter  for  the  expedition.  The  Advance  then  i>roceeded 
across  Melville  Bay  in  the  wake  of  vast  icebergs,  dodging  to 
the  rear  of  these  huge  floating  masses,  holding  on  to  them 
when  adverse  winds  became  annoying,  and  pressing  forward 
as  opportunity  offered.  The  immiontory  of  Swartehuk  was 
l)assed  by  the  IGth.  The  following  day  the  Advance  an- 
chored at  Proven,  where  Dr.  Kane  was  warmly  welcomed 
by  his  old  friend  Christiansen,  the  superintendent.  Here 
he  mad(>  necessary  purchases  of  furs,  and  these  were  .speedily 
made  into  suitable  garments  by  the  superintendent's  wife  and 
h(>r  assistants.  Wliile  the  brig  sailed  leisurely  up  the  coast, 
Kane  set  out  in  tlie  whale-boat  to  make  jiurchases  of  dogs 
among  the  natives  of  the  ditTerent  .settlements.  After  a  two 
days'  stay  at  I'lMTnavik,  the  Advance  proceeded  on  her 
course  and  iiassed  in  succession  th(>  Eskimo  settlement  of 
Kingatok,  the  Kettle,  -  a  mountain  toj)  so  named  from  the 
resemblance  of  its  profile,  and  finally  Zottik,  the  farthest 
l)oint  of  colonization. 


THE    SECOXI)    aiilNSELL    EXPEDITION 


•20] 


InclininR  nioro  diroctly  to  tho  north,  she  sifihtcd  the  hmd- 
murk  known  as  the  Horse's  Head,  and  later  Dueks  Islands, 
and  made  for  Wilcox  Point,  whieli  was  passed  on  the  27th 
of  July.  The  2d  of  Aut^ust  found  them  well  in  the  ice  and 
harassed  by  fo^s,  but  the  Hoes  ojH'ned  at  intervals,  allowinf>; 
the  ship  to  make  her  slow  j)rosress  through  them.  The  north 
water  was  comparatively  free  from  obstructions,  and  by  tho 
5th  they  had  passed  the  "Crimson  (Mitfs"  described  by  Sir 
John  Ross  ;  two  days  later  they  (loul)led  Cape  Alexander, 
and  passed  in  to  Smith  Sound.  At  Littleton  Island  they 
stopped  to  deiwsit  a  boat  and  supi^ly  of  stores.  On  August  S 
the  ship  closed  with  the  ice  and  bored  her  way  through  the 
loose  stream  ice  some  forty  mil(>s  beyond  Life  Boat  (  ove,  when 
it  became  impossible  to  force  her  way  any  farther,  and,  says 
Kane:  "A  dense  foj?  gatherins  round  us,  we  were  carried 
helplessly  to  the  eastward.  We  should  have  been  forced 
upon  the  Greenland  coast,  but  an  eddy  close  in  shore  re- 
leased us  for  a  few  moments  from  direct  pressure,  and  w(« 
were  fortunate  enough  to  get  out  a  whale-line  to  the  rocks 
and  warp  into  a  protecting  niche." 

The  following  day  he  writes:  "It  may  be  noted  among 
our  little  miseries  that  we  have  more  than  fifty  dogs  on 
boanl,  the  majority  of  whom  might  rather  be  characterized 
as  'ravening  wolves.'  To  feed  this  family  upon  whose 
strength  our  progress  and  success  depend,  is  really  a  diffi- 
cult matter.  The  absence  of  shore  or  land  ice  to  the  south  in 
RafTm  Bay  has  prevented  our  rifles  from  contributing  any 
material  aid  to  our  commissariat.  Our  two  bears  lasted  tho 
cormorants  but  eight  days;  and  to  feed  them  upon  tho 
meagre  allowance  of  two  pounds  of  raw  flesh  every  other  day 
is  an  almost  impossible  necessity.  Only  yesterday  they 
were  ready  to  eat  the  caboose  up,  for  I  would  not  giv(^  them 
])enunican.  Corn  meal  or  beans,  which  Peiuiey's  dogs  fed 
un,  they  disdain  to  touch  ;  and  salt  junk  would  kill  them. 


r  'I 

1 

'•  I 


^1 


ip 


F   ':• 


»    ' 

m 
■ 


202 


TUH  r.nr.AT  WHITE  yonrii 


"  Acronlinnly,  I  started  out  this  morninp  to  hunt  walrus, 
with  which  the  Sound  is  tcciniufi;.  We  saw  ut  least  lii'ty  of 
these  dusky  monsters,  and  ai)proac'he<l  many  Rrou[)s  within 
twenty  paees.  ]}iit  our  rifle  halls  reverberated  from  their 
hides  like  cork  ix'llets  from  a  pop-fj;un  taryet,  and  we  could 
not  jj;et  within  hari)oon  distance  of  one.  Later  in  the  day, 
howev(T,  Ohlsen.  climl)inK  a  nei^hborinii;  hill  to  scan  the 
horizon  and  see  if  the  ice  had  .slackened,  found  the  (h'ad 
carca.ss  of  a  narwhale  or  .sea-unicorn  ;  a  happy  di.scovery, 
which  has  .secured  for  us  at  lea.st  six  hundred  pounds  of  sood, 
fetid,  wholesome  flesh.  The  length  of  the  narwhale  was 
fourteen  feet,  and  his  process,  or  'horn,'  from  the  tip  to  its 
l)ony  enc:is(>inent,  four  feet.  .  .  .  We  built  a  tiro  on  the 
rocks,  and  melt(>(l  down  his  blubber  :  he  will  yield  readily 
two  barrels  of  oil." 

The  condition  of  the  ice,  furious  pales,  and  the  fa.st  approach- 
ins  winter  all  combined  to  dishearten  the  crew,  who  with 
one  (>xcei)tion  desired  to  return  .south  and  find  winter  quar- 
ters. Dr.  Kan(>,  however,  determined  to  push  northward, 
and  finally  located  in  Kensseliier  Harbour  78°  37'  X.,  71°  W. 
By  the  lOth  of  Sei)tember,  th(>  lonjj;  "ni,i>ht  in  which  no  man 
can  work"  was  close  at  hand;  the  thermometer  .stood  at  14°; 
every  preparation  wa.s  made  for  winterins;  a  storehou.se  was 
erected  at  Butler  Island ;  an  astronomical  ob.servatory 
arranged  at  a  .short  distance  from  the  ship. 

"Besi(h\s  prej)arinK  our  winter  (juarters,"  writes  Dr. 
Kane,  "I  am  enframed  in  the  preliminary  arrangements  for 
my  provision  depots  along  the  Clreenland  coast.  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy is,  I  believe,  the  only  one  of  my  predecessors  who  has 
used  October  and  Xoven.  kt  for  Arctic  field  work;  but  I 
deem  it  important  to  our  movements  during  the  winter  and 
spring,  that  d(>pots  in  advance  should  be  made  before  the 
darkness  sets  in.  I  jiurpose  arranging  three  of  them  at  in- 
tervuN  — jjushing  them  as  far  forward  as  I  can,  —  to  con- 


DH.    ELI  SUA    K.    KANE 


203 


tain  in  all  some  twelve  hundred  pounds  of  provision,  of  which 
eif^lit  hundred  will  he  peniniican." 

To  this  end  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  inih's  of  the 
(Ireenlund  const  was  traced  to  the  north  and  east;  the  lar^ost 
of  the  three  depots  was  located  on  an  island  in  latitude 
70°  12'  0",  and  longitude  t).')°  25'. 

By  the  2()th  of  November,  the  darkness  made  field  work 
iini)ossil)le,  and  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  days  the  little 
band  of  Arctic  exi)h)rers  endured  the  weariness  and  bitter 
cold  of  the  lon<i  ni}?ht. 

"On  the  17th  of  .January,"  writes  Dr.  Kane,  "our  ther- 
mometers stood  at  forty-nine  decrees  below  zero ;  and  on 
the  2()th  the  raiifj;e  of  those  at  the  observatory  was  at  —04° 
to  —  ()7°.  The  temperature  on  the  floes  was  always  some- 
what hijfher  than  at  the  island  ;  the  difference  beinj?  due, 
as  I  supi)ose,  to  the  heat  conduct<'d  from  the  sea-water, 
which  was  at  a  temi)erature  of  -f-29°  ;  the  suspended  instru- 
ments beins  affected  by  radiation. 

"On  the  ")th  of  February,  our  thermometers  began  to  show 
unexampled  t(>m]ierature.  Thi>y  ranged  from  G0°  to  7')° 
below  zero,  and  one  very  reliabh'  instrument  stood  ujKm 
the  taffrail  of  our  brig  at  —0.')°.  The  reduced  mean  of  our 
best  sjMrit-standards  gave  —07°,  or  99°  below  the  freezing- 
point  of  water. 

"At  these  temperatures  chloric  ether  became  solid,  and 
car(>fully  ijrejiaretl  chloroform  exhibited  a  granular  jjellicle  on 
its  surface.  Spirit  of  naphtha  froze  at  — o4°,  and  oil  of  winter- 
green  was  in  a  flocculent  state  at  —  o<)°,  and  solid  at  —03° 
and  —05°. 

"The  exhalations  from  the  surface  of  the  body  invested 
the  exposeil  or  partially  clad  parts  with  a  wreath  of  vapor. 
The  air  had  a  perceptible  pungency  upon  inspiration,  but  I 
could  not  perceive  the  painful  sensation  which  has  been 
spoken  of  by  some  Siberian  travellers.     When  breathed  for 


h 


f  " 

1 

1 

t 

1 

1 

I 


Zi 


H 


I   i 


1 
'I 


i'04 


77/ A'    a  It  EAT    WIlITt:    SOU  I II 


any  Iciijtlh  of  time,  it  imparted  a  sensation  of  dryness  to  the 
air-passages.  I  noticed  that,  as  it  were  invcduntarily,  we  all 
hreatlied  miardediy,   witii  compressed  lips." 

The  depressinj;  inMuence  of  such  low  temperatures  afTect'  a 
hotli  man  and  heast.  The  poor  d()<;s  suffered  keenly,  and 
many  of  them  died  of  atTections  of  the  brain,  which  began 
with  the  same  symptoms  of  fits,  lunacy,  an<l  lockjaw.  The 
loss  of  fiit\ -seven  of  these  brave  animals  seriously  alTected 
Dr.  Kane's  plans.  The  crew  were  gr'^itly  depleted  by 
scurvy  and  almost  unfit  for  the  arduous  work  planned  for 
the  early  spring- 

"An  Arctic  night  and  an  Arctic  day,"  remarks  Dr.  Kane, 
"age  a  man  more  rapidly  and  harshly  than  u  year  anywhere 
else   in    the   world." 

Early  in  March  a  sledging  party  was  organized  to  ascer- 
tain whether  it  were  practicable  to  ft)rce  a  way  over  the 
crowded  bergs  and  mountainous  ice  to  the  north.  An  ad- 
vance corps  was  s(>nt  out  to  place  a  depot  of  provisions  at  a 
suitable  distance  from  the  brig. 

March  20,  Dr.  Kane  writes  as  follows  :  — 

"I  saw  the  depot  jiarty  off  yesterday.  They  gave  the 
usual  three  cheers,  with  three  for  myself.  I  gave  them  the 
whole  of  my  brotlu^r's  great  wedding-cake  and  my  last  two 
bottles  of  Port,  and  they  pulled  the  sledge  they  were  har- 
nessed to  famously.  Rut  I  was  not  satisfied.  I  could  .see  it 
was  haril  work  ;  and,  besitles,  they  were  without  the  boat, 
or  (>nough  extra  penunican  to  make  their  dejjosit  of  im- 
portanc(>.  I  followed  them,  therefore,  and  found  that  they 
encami)ed  at  8  p.m.  only  five  miles  from  the  brig. 

"When  I  overtook  them,  I  said  nothing  to  discourage 
them,  and  gave  no  new  orders  for  the  morning ;  but  after 
laughing  at  good  Ohlsen's  rueful  face,  and  listening  to  all 
Petersen's  assurances  that  the  cold  and  nothing  but  the  cold 
retarded  his  Greenland  sledge,  and   that  no  sledge  of  any 


UIMEi:    (iCAItrKllS    L\    RENSSKLAKIi    llAIUKUlt      20') 


other  rofistructioti  could  havr  Iwcn  moved  at  al!  tliroUKli 
—  40°  snow,  I  (juictly  hade  them  j^ood-iiij^ht,  h'aviiin  all  luuids 
under  their  hiitTaloes. 

"Once  returned  I  ^  the  l)riK,  all  my  tired  remainder  men 
were  summoned  ;  a  lar^e  sledge  with  hoard  runners  whicli  I 
had  built  somewhat  after  the  neat  Admiralty  model  M-nt 
me  hy  Sir  Francis  Beaufort,  was  taken  down,  scraped, 
polished,  lashed,  tmd  titte(l  with  track  rojies  and  rue-radilies  ; 
the  lines  ranKed  to  draw  as  near  as  possilile  in  a  line  with 
the  centre  of  j^ravity. 

"We  ma<le  an  <  ntire  cover  of  canvas,  with  snugly  ad- 
justed fastenings  ;  and  I)}'  one  in  the  morning  we  had  our 
discarded  excess  of  pemmican  and  the  boat  once  more  in 
stou'age.  Off  we  went  for  the  camp  of  the  sleepers.  It  was 
very  cold,  hut  a  thoroughly  Arctic  night  ;  the  snow  just 
tinged  with  the  crims(m  stratus  above  the  sun.  which,  equi- 
noctial as  it  was,  glared  beneath  the  northern  horizon  like  u 
smelt ing-furnace.  We  found  the  tent  of  the  party  by  the 
bearings  of  the  stranded  bergs.  Quietly  and  stealthily  we 
hauled  away  their  Eskimo  sledge,  and  placed  her  cargo 
upon  the  Faith. 

"Five  men  were  then  rue-raddied  ^o  the  track-lines,  and 
with  the  whispered  word,  'Now,  bo  -,  when  Mr.  Rrooks 
gives  his  third  snore,  off  with  you  !'  off  they  went,  and  the 
Faith  after  them,  as  free  and  nimble  as  a  volunteer.  The 
trial  was  a  triumph.  We  awakened  th(>  sleepers  with  three 
cheers  ;  and,  giving  them  a  secontl  good-by,  returned  to  the 
brig,  carrvnng  the  dishonored  vehicle  along  with  us.  And 
now,  bating  mishaps  i':ist  anticipation,  I  shall  have  a  depot 
for  my  long  trip. 

"The  party  w(>re  .seen  by  McCJary  from  aloft,  at  noon  to- 
day, moving  easily,  and  about  twelve  miles  from  the  brig." 

Eleven  days  later,  March  31,  I  Jr.  Kane  writes:  — 

"We  were  at  work  cheerfully,  se\smg  away  at  the  skins  of 


1 1 


■  ;  \ 


^    r 


« • 

•; 


-'0(1 


rut:  liUKM    wiiiih:  xoitrii 


some  mucciisiiis  hy  the  l>l:i/.<'  of  our  Itiiiips,  wluii,  toward  inid- 
riijilif,  we  liciinl  the  iioisc  ol  >tt'|)s  ulxnc,  ami  tlif  next  minute 
Soiuita^,  «  >|iImii,  atul  I'cttrscii  <ann'  down  into  the  cahin. 
Tlifir  niannrr  start It-d  nir  even  niorr  than  tlaii-  uiicxiMctcd 
aj)p»'araiii'('  on  l)oard.  They  were  swolli'ii  and  liajiuard, 
and  hardly  altlc  to  <|)cak. 

"Their  story  was  a  IVarful  one.  They  had  left  their  com- 
panions in  the  ice,  ri>kiim;  their  own  lives  to  KriiiK  us  the 
new-  ;  Hrooke.  Maker.  Wilson,  and  Pierre  were  all  lyinjj; 
fro/en  and  disabled.  Where?  'ihey  could  not  tell:  some- 
where in  amoUK  the  hunnnocks  to  the  north  and  east  ;  it 
was  driftinu;  heavily  roimd  them  when  they  i)aited.  Irish 
Tom  had  stayi'd  l>y  to  feed  and  care  for  the  others  ;  hut  the 
chances  were  sorely  against  them.  It  was  in  vain  to  (Hies- 
tion  them  further.  They  had  evidently  travelled  a  ;treat 
distance,  for  they  were  sinkinu;  with  fatigue  and  hunjrer, 
and  could  hardly  l)e  rallied  enough  to  tell  us  the  direction 
in  which  they  had  come." 

"My  first  imjHilse,''  continues  Dr.  Kano,  "was  to  move  on 
the  instant  with  an  unencmnhered  party  :  a  rescue  to  ho 
efTective  or  even  hopeful,  could  not  he  too  i)rompt.  What 
I)ressed  on  my  mind  most  was,  where  the  sutTerers  were  to 
l)e  looked  for  amonfj;  the  drifts.  Ohisen  seeme(|  to  have  hi.s 
faculties  rather  more  at  command  than  his  associates,  and 
I  thouf^ht  that  he  mii>;ht  assist  \is  as  a  guide  :  Init  he  was 
sinkin^j;  with  exhaustion,  atid  if  he  went  we  must  carry 
him. 

"There  was  not  a  moment  to  h(>  lost.  While  some  were 
still  busy  with  the  newcomers  and  {jettiny:  ready  a  hasty 
meal,  others  were  riii^in^'  out  the  f.itlli  W'lllli  with  a  buffalo 
cover,  a  siikiH  tent,  and  ;i  package  df  pemmicjui  :  and.  as  soon 
as  we  could  hurry  throuu:h  our  arraimements,  ( )hlsen  was 
strapped  (tn  in  a  fur  bau,  hi>  letis  wra])i)ed  in  don-skins  and 
eider-flown,  and  we  were  oi'f  upon  the  ice.     Our  party  con- 


SLKDUIMi     TIUl'S 


2U7 


nistcd  of  iiiup  men  and  myself.  We  carried  only  the  clothes 
on  our  hacks.  'I'Ik-  thenuonieter  stood  at  -  Ki  ,  7S'  Itelow 
the  free/.iiiK-point. 

".\  well-known  peculiar  tower  of  ice,  called  l)y  the  nun  the 
'l*innacly  Hitk,'  served  as  our  first  land-mark;  other  ice- 
herns  of  colossal  size,  which  stretched  in  lony  heaih'd  lines 
across  the  bay,  helped  to  uuide  us  afterward;  and  it  was 
not  until  we  had  travelled  for  si.vteen  hours  that  we  began  to 
lose  our  way. 

"We  knew  that  our  lost  comjjanions  nmst  he  somewhere 
in  the  area  before  us,  within  a  radius  of  forty  miles.  Mr. 
Ohlsen,  who  had  been  for  fifty  hom-s  without  rest,  fell  asleep 
as  soon  as  we  Ix'^an  to  move,  and  awoke  now  with  une(iuiv- 
oeal  si^ns  of  mental  disturbance.  It  became  evident  that 
he  had  lost  the  hearing  of  the  iceberfrs,  which  in  form  and 
color  endlessly  repeated  themselves  ;  atul  the  uniformity 
of  the  vast  fi(>ld  of  snow  utterly  forbade  the  hope  of  h)cal  land- 
marks. 

"Pushing  ahead  of  the  party,  and  clamherinK  over  some 
ruRsecl  ice  piles,  I  came  to  a  long  level  floe,  which  I  tuought 
might  probably  have  attracted  the  eyes  of  W(>ary  men  in 
circumstanc(>s  like  our  own.  It  was  a  light  conjecture  ;  but 
it  was  enough  to  turn  the  scale,  for  there  was  no  other  to 
balance  it.  T  gave  orders  to  abandon  the  sledge,  and  dis- 
perse in  search  of  footmarks. 

"We  raised  our  tent,  placed  our  ponmiican  in  cache,  ex- 
ce])t  a  small  allowance  for  each  man  to  carry  on  his  person  ; 
and  poor  Ohlsen,  now  just  able  to  kee])  his  legs,  was  lilterated 
from  his  bag.  Tlie  thermometer  had  fallen  liy  tliis  time  to 
—  49°  ;V,  and  the  wind  was  .setting  in  sharply  from  the  north- 
west. 

"  It  was  out  of  the  question  to  halt  ;  it  required  l)risk  exer- 
cise to  keep  us  from  freezing.  I  coi'.ld  not  even  melt  ice  for 
water ;    and,  at  these  temperatures,  any  resort  to  snow  for 


;if* 


I    \ 


#  ■ 


I  i' 


208 


TllK    (iUKAT    Willi t:    SOUTH 


the  pur])()so  of  allaying  thirst  was  followed  by  bloody  lips 
ami  tongue  ;  it  burnt  like  cuustie. 

"  It  was  indispv  nsable  then  that  we  shouhl  move  on,  looking 
out  for  traces  as  we  went.  Yet  when  the  men  were  ordered  to 
spread  themselves,  so  as  to  multiply  the  chanees,  though  they 
all  ol)eyed  heartily,  some  jiainful  itujiress  of  solitary  danger, 
or  perhajjs  it  may  have  been  the  varying  configuration  of  the 
ice-field,  kei)t  them  closing  uj)  contimiallj'  into  a  single  group. 
The  strange  manner  in  which  some  of  us  were  aflfected  I  now 
attribute  as  nmch  to  shatteretl  nerves  as  to  the  direct  influ- 
ence of  the  colli.  Men  like  ]\IcGary  and  Bonsall,  who  had 
stood  out  our  severest  marches,  were  seized  with  trembling- 
fits  and  siiort  breath  ;  and,  in  si)ite  of  all  my  etTorts  to  keep 
up  an  e.\anii)le  of  sound  bearing,  I  fainted  twice  on  the  snow. 

"We  had  been  nearly  eighteen  hours  out  without  water 
or  food,  when  a  new  hope  cheered  us.  I  think  it  was  Hans, 
our  Eskimo  Inmter,  who  thought  he  saw  a  broad  sledge 
track.  The  drift  had  nearly  effaced  it,  and  we  were  some 
of  us  doubtful  at  first  whether  it  was  not  one  of  those  acci- 
dental rifts  wliich  the  gales  make  in  the  surface-snow.  Hut, 
as  we  traced  it  on  to  the  deej)  snow  among  the  hummocks,  we 
were  led  to  footsteps  ;  and,  following  these  with  religious 
care,  w(>  at  last  came  in  sight  of  a  small  .\merican  flag  fiut- 
tering  from  a  hummock,  and  lower  down  a  little  Masonic 
bami(>r  hanging  from  a  tent-pole  hardly  alK)ve  the  drift. 
It  was  the  camp  t)f  our  disal)led  comrades  ;  w(>  reached  it 
after  an  unbroken  march  of  twenty-one  hours. 

"The  little  tent  was  nearly  covered.  I  was  not  anKmg  the 
first  to  come  ui> ;  but,  when  I  reached  th(>  tent-curlain,  the 
men  were  standing  in  silent  file  on  each  sid<>  of  it.  With 
more  kindness  and  delicacy  of  feeling  than  is  often  supj)osed 
to  b(>l<)ng  to  sailors,  but  which  is  almost  characteristic,  they 
intimated  their  wish  that  I  slumld  go  in  alone.  As  I  crawled 
in,   and,   coming  upon  tlie  darkness,   heard  before  me   the 


\ 


;, 


f  I 


>  ■ 


I  «• 


l> ' 


A .  L 


7  0  Tin-:  liiiniiE 


2<>'.» 


burst  of  welcome  filadness  tliat  came  from  the  tour  poor 
fellows  strelciied  on  their  hacks,  and  then  for  the  tir>t  time 
the  cheer  outside,  my  weakness  and  my  gratitude  lo^iether 
almost  overcame  me.  'Tliey  had  exix-cted  me:  they  were 
sure  I  would  ct)me  !' 

"We  were  now  lifteen  souls  :  the  tiiermometer  seventy-five 
decrees  below  the  freezinji-point  :  and  our  sole  accommoda- 
tion a  tent  barely  able  to  contain  eijiht  persons  ;  more  than 
half  our  paity  were  oblif-vd  to  kee])  from  freezing  by  walk- 
ing outside  wiiile  the  others  slei)t.  We  could  not  halt  lon^-. 
Each  of  us  took  a  tiun  of  two  hours'  sleep  :  and  we  prei)ared 
for  our  homeward  march." 

Continuiiifj;  his  si)irited  narrative,  Dr.  Kane  describes 
the  retreat  :  — 

"It  was  fortunate  indeed  that  we  were  not  inexperienced  in 
sledpiiR  over  the  ice.  A  great  i)art  of  our  track  hiy  amoiifi 
a  succession  of  hummocks:  some  of  them  extendinfi  in  lon<i; 
lines,  fifteen  and  twenty  feet  hij^h,  and  so  tmiformly  steej)  that 
we  had  to  turn  them  by  a  consideral)le  deviation  from  our 
direct  course  ;  others  that  we  forced  our  way  throujih  far 
above  our  heads  in  heij^ht.  lyinii;  in  jiarallel  ridges,  with  the 
space  between  too  narrow  for  the  sledge  to  l)e  lowered  into 
it  .safely,  and  yet  not  wide  enough  for  the  runners  to  cross 
without  the  aid  of  ropes  to  stay  them.  These  spaces,  too, 
were  generally  chocked  with  light  snow,  hiding  the  openings 
between  the  ice-fragments.  They  were  fearful  1rai)s  to  dis- 
engage a  limb  from,  for  every  man  knew  that  a  fracture  or 
a  sprain  even  would  cost  him  his  life.  Besides  all  this,  the 
sledge  was  top  heavy  with  its  load  ;  the  maimed  men  could 
not  bear  to  be  lashed  down  tight  enough  to  secure  them 
against   falling  off. 

"Notwithstanding  our  catition  in  rejecting  every  super- 
Utious  burd(>n,  the  weight,  including  bags  and  tent,  was  eleven 
hundred  pounds. 


%^\ 


V  f 


t 


r, 


I  j: 


i  % 


t\^ 


TUK    a  HEAT    WHITE    .\OIiTll 


"And  yet  our  nuircli  for  the  first  six  hours  wiis  vory  choer- 
iiiff.  We  made  l)y  vijjjorous  pulls  and  lifts  nearly  a  niilo 
un  linur.  and  rcaclie*!  the  new  lloi-s  Ix'fore  we  were  nl)sohitely 
w<'ary.  ( )ur  sledge  sustained  tin  trial  adn»iral)ly.  Olilsen, 
restored  hy  li«»l)e,  walked  steatlily  at  the  leadinjr  belt  of  the 
sled<ve  lines  ;  an<l  I  iK'^aii  to  feel  eertain  of  reaching  our  half- 
way station  of  the  <lay  before,  where  we  had  left  our  tent.  Hut 
we  were  still  nine  miles  from  it,  when,  almost  without  premo- 
nition, we  all  became  aware  of  an  alarming  failure  of  our  ener- 
gies. 

••I  was,  of  course,  familiar  witli  the  benumbed  and  almost 
lethargic  sensation  of  extreme  cold;  and  once,  when  ex- 
l)osed  for  some  hours  in  the  midwinter  of  Hafhn's  Bay,  I  had 
experienced  symi)toms  which  1  compared  to  the  diffused 
paralysis  of  the  electro-galvanic  shock.  But  I  had  treated 
the  .s/cc/;//  comfort  of  fri-ezing  as  something  like  the  embel- 
lishment of  romanc(>.  I  luul  evidence  now  to  the  contrary. 
"Bonsall  and  Morton,  two  of  our  stoutest  men,  came  to 
me,  begging  ])ermission  to  sleej)  :  'They  were  not  cold  ; 
the  wind  did  not  enter  them  now  ;  a  little  sleep  was  all  they 
wanted.'  Presently  Hans  was  found  n(>arly  stiff  under  a 
drift  ;  and  Thomas,  bolt  upright,  had  his  eyes  cIoscmI,  and 
could  hardly  articulate.  At  last,  John  Blak(>  threw  himself 
on  the  snow,  and  refused  to  rise.  They  di<l  not  complain  of 
feeling  cold  ;  but  it  was  in  vain  that  I  wrestled,  boxed, 
ran.  argued,  jeered,  or  repriinanch'd ;  an  inunediate  halt 
could  nut  be  avoided. 

"We  pitched  our  tent  with  much  difficulty.  Our  hands 
were  t(!n  ])owerl(>ss  to  strike  a  fire;  we  were  obliged  to  do 
without  water  or  food.  Even  the  spirits  (whiskey)  luul 
frozen  at  the  men's  feet,  under  all  the  coverings.  We  ])ut 
Bonsall,  Ohlsen,  Thomas,  and  Hans,  with  the  other  sick  men, 
well  inside  the  tent,  and  crowded  in  as  many  others  as  we 
couKl.     Then,  leaving  the  i)arty  in  charge  of  Mr.  McGary, 


EFFECTS    OF    EXIIAlsTloy    AND    COLD 


•211 


witli  orders  to  conir  on  aftci'  four  hours'  rest,  I  puslicil  aliciul 
with  William  ( Mxlfrcy,  who  vtjluntccrcd  to  hv  my  (•onii)an- 
ioii.     My  aim  was  to  reach  the  hallway  lent,  and  thaw  some 
ice  and  pennnican  before  the  others  arrived.     1'he  Hoe  was 
of  level  ice,  aii<l  the  walkinji  exeeUent.     I   cannot   tell  how 
loll};  it   took  us  to  make  the  nine  miles  :    for  we  were  in  a 
strange  sort  of  stupor,  and  had  little  ai)i>reliension  of  time. 
It    was    prohal)ly    ahout    four    hours.     We    ke|)t    ourselves 
awake  by  im|)o>inn  on  each  other  u  continual  articulation  ot 
words;    they  nnist   have  been   incoherent   enoujiih.     I   recall 
these  hours  as  umoiifj;  the  most  wretched  I  have  <'ver  none 
throUfi;h  ;    we  were  neither  of  us  in  our  right  senses,  and  re- 
tained  a   very  confused   recollection   of  what    i)receded   our 
arrival  at   the  tent.     We  both  of  us,  however,  remember  a 
bear,  who  walked  l(>isurely  before  us  and  tore  up  as  lie  went 
a  jumper  that  Mr.  McCary  had  imi)rovi(lently  thrown  off  the 
day  lu'fore.     He  tore  it  into  shreds  and  rolled  it  into  a  ball, 
but  never  offered  to  interfere  with  our  progress.     I  remember 
this,  and  with  it    a  confused  sentiment   that   otir  tent   and 
bulTalo   robes  might    probably   .share   the   same   fate.     Cod- 
frey.  with  whom  the  memory  of  this  (hiy's  work  may  atone 
for  many  faults  of  a  later  time,  had  a  better  eye  than  my.self ; 
and,  looking  some  miles  ahead,  h(>  cotild  see  that  our  tent 
was    tmdergoing    the    same    tmcoremonious    treatment.     I 
thought    I  saw  it,  too,  but  we  w(>re  .so  drunken  with  cold 
that  we  strode  on  steadily,  and,  for  aught  I  know,  without 
(piickening   otir   pace.     Probably   our   approach    saved    the 
contents  of  the  tent  ;    for  when  we  reached  it  the  tent  wa.s 
tniinj\u-ed,  thotigh  the  b(«ar  had  overturned  it,  tossing  the 
btiffalo  robes  and  pemmican  into  tli<'  snow;    we  missed  only 
a  couple  of  blanket-bags.     What  we  recollect,  however,  and 
perhajis   all   we   recollect,   is,   that   we   had   great    diflficulty 
in   raising  it.     We  crawled  into  our  reindeer  sleejiing-bags, 
without  speaking,  and  for  the  next  three  hours  slept  on  in  a 


2)2 


THE  <;ui:.\T   wniTK  .\orth 


U  M 


(In-ainy  and  intense  slninher.  U'lien  I  awoke,  my  long 
heani  was  a  mass  of  ice  frozen  fast  to  the  hulTaUKskin  ; 
(lodfrey  had  to  cut  me  out  with  his  jackknife.  Kour  days 
after  our  escape,  I  found  my  woollen  comfortable  with  a 
jioodly  share  of  my  lieard  still  adhering  to  it. 

"We  were  altle  to  melt  water  and  ^et  some  soup  cooke<l 
before  the  rest  of  our  party  arrive*  1 :  it  took  them  l)Ut  I'lvo 
hours  to  walk  the  nine  miles.  They  were  doin^  well,  and, 
coM>idering  the  circumstances,  in  wontlerful  spirits.  The 
day  was  most  pntvidentially  windless,  with  a  clear  sun.  .\ll 
enjoyed  the  refreshment  we  had  got  ready.  The  crippled 
were  repai'ked  in  their  robes  ;  and  we  s])ed  briskly  toward  the 
liummock-ridy;es  which   lay   between   us    and    the   Pinnacly 

'The  Innnmocks  we  had  now  to  meet  came  properly  under 
the  designation  of  s(|Ueezed  ice.  A  fireut  chain  of  bergs 
streliliing  from  northwest  to  southeast,  moving  with  the 
tide-  had  compr(--cd  the  surface-fl(»es  ;  and,  rearing  them 
up  oil  their  edge-,  produced  an  area  more  like  the  volcanic 
pe(lregal  (»!  the  basin  of  .Mexico  than  anything  else  I  can 
ciiinpare  it  to. 

"It  re(|uire(l  desperate  efforts  to  work  oiu'  way  over  it, — 
literally  de-perate,  for  our  strength  failed  us  anew,  and  we 
J'^«;an  to  lose  our  self-control.  We  could  not  abstain  any 
■  iiger  from  eating  snow  ;  our  mouths  swelled,  and  some  of 
Itecaine  speechless.  Happily  the  day  was  warmed  by  a 
ir  sunshine,  and  the  thermometer  rose  to  —4°  in  the 
-iiade  :    otherwise  we  must   have  froz<'n. 

"Our  halts  multiplieil,  and  we  fell  half-sl(>eping  on  the 
>now.  I  could  not  prevent  it.  Strange  to  say,  it  refreshed 
us.  I  ventiued  u|)on  the  experiment  m.vself,  making  Riley 
wake  me  at  the  end  of  thre<>  minutes;  and  I  felt  so  much 
b(>nefited  liy  it  that  I  titneil  the  men  in  the  same  way.  They 
sat   on  the  runners  of  the  sledge,   fell  asleej)  instantly,  and 


EFI'hX'TS    OF    EXIIAl'sriOy    A  Mi    (OLD 


•21  a 


were  forcc.l  to  wakcfulm'ss  when  tlicir  three  iniiuites    were 
(tut.      By  v\ix.\i\   ill   the  evening  we  emerged   l'i(»iii   tlie   (ioes. 
The  si^ht  of  the  I'inimily  lii-rj;  revived  us.     Hr:iii«ly,  an  in- 
viiUiulile    resource    in   einerjiency,    liad  uln^ady   Ix-en   served 
out  in  taltlespooiiful  doses.     We  now  t(M>k  a  longer  rest,  and 
:i  hist  hut  stouter  «h-aiii,  and  reached  the  l)ri^;  at   1   p.m.,  we 
iH'heve  without  a  haU.     I  say  nr  hrlirrc:    and  liere  jterhaps 
is  the  most  derided  proof  of  our  sulTerinjis  :    we  were  (luite 
dchrKms.  an.l  liad  ceased  to  entertain  a  sane  apprehension  of 
the  circumstanc(>s  alnmt   us.     \\v  moved  on  like  iik'H  in  a 
dream.     Our    footmarks    seen    afterwards    showed    tliat    we 
had  steered  a  l)ee-hne  for  the  hri}?.     It  must  have  heen  ))y 
11  sort  of  in.stinct,  for  it  left  no  impress  on  the  memory.     Hon- 
sall  was  sent   stajif^erinK  ahead,  and  readied  the  hriji,  ('.od 
knows  how.  for  lu-  had  falU-n  rep<>atedly  at  the  track-lines; 
hut    he  delivered   with  jumctilious  accuracy  the  messages   I 
had  sent  by  him  to  Dr.  Hayes.     I  thought  myself  the  sound- 
est of  all,  for  I  went  through  all  the  formula  of  sanity,  and  can 
recall  the  mutteriiifi  delirium  of  my  comrades  when  we  not 
l)ack  into  the  cal.in  of  our  hrifi;.     Yet  I  have  Ikm-u  told  since 
of  some  speeches  and  some  orders,  too,  of  mine,  which  I  should 
have  remembered  for  their  absurdity  if  my  mind  had  retained 

its  balance. 

"Petersen  and  Whipple  camo  out  to  meet  us  about  two 
miles  from  the  bri«.  They  brought  my  dos-team,  with  the 
restoratives  I  had  sent  for  by  IVynsall.  I  do  not  remember 
their  comiuf-;.  Dr.  Hayes  entered  with  judicious  (-nerny  upon 
the  treatment  our  condition  called  for,  aihninisterinR  mor- 
phine freely,  after  the  usual  frictions.  He  reported  none  of 
our  brain-s\nuptoms  as  serious,  referring;  them  proi)erly  to  the 
class  of  those  indications  of  exhausted  l)ower  which  uold  to 
flt'iierous  diet  and  rest.  Mr.  Ohlseii  sutTered  some  time  from 
strabismus  and  blimhiess  :  two  others  underwent  ami)uta- 
tion  of  parts  of  the  foot,  without  uni)leasant  conse(iuences  ; 


4}: 


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214 


37/fi    a  HEAT    WmrE    NORTH 


und  two  (licil  ill  spite  of  ail  our  clTorts.  Tliis  rt'scuc  party 
luul  Ikmii  out  tor  scvciity-t wo  liours.  We  luid  luiitcd  in  all 
ci^lit  liours,  halt'  of  our  iiuiiilMr  sleeping  at  a  time.  We  trav- 
elled between  eijfjity  and  ninety  miles,  most  of  the  way  dra^- 
jjiny;  a  heavy  sled^e.  The  mean  temi)erature  of  the  whole 
time,  iiicludiiiy;  the  warmest  hours  of  three  days,  was  at 
—  W  2'.  \\'e  had  no  water  except  at  our  two  halts,  and  were 
at  no  timeal)le  to  intermit  vigorous  exercise  without  freezing." 

Dr.  Kane  writes,  April  \,  Tuesday  :  — 

"Four  <lays  have  passed,  un<l  I  am  a^ain  at  my  record  of 
failures,  sound,  hut  aching  still  in  every  joint.  The  rescued 
men  are  not  out  of  dan^fr,  hut  their  gratitude  is  very  touchinj?. 
Pray  (Io<l  that  they  may  live  !" 

Shortly  after  these  events,  the  shij)  was  visited  hy  Eskimos, 
a  Kood-iuitured,  childlike  company,  who  disdained  such 
dainties  offeretl  hy  the  crew  as  wheat  bread,  cornecl  pork, 
and  lumps  of  white  su^ar,  but  jiorfied  themselves  on  beef  and 
blubber,  and  took  opj)ortunity  to  steal  whatever  they  could 
lay  their  hands  on.  Dr.  Kane  jjurcluised  all  the  walrus  meat 
they  had  to  spare  and  some  of  their  dojfs,  eiwichiiifj;  them  in 
return  with  needles  and  l)(>ads,  and  a  treasure  of  old  cask 
staves.  Followint!;  his  experience  with  the  Eskimos,  Dr.  Kane 
gives  an  amusiiijr  anecdote  of  a  seal  hunt. 

"On  one  occasion,"  he  writes,  "while  working  my  way 
toward  the  Eskimo  huts,  I  saw  a  larf^e  I'siik  l)askin{!;  asleep 
upon  the  ice.  Takiii};  otT  my  shoes,  I  commenced  a  somewhat 
refrifieratinjf  process  of  stalking,  lyin^i  up(jn  my  belly  and 
crawlinj;  aloii};,  step  l)y  step,  beliin<l  the  little  knobs  of  floe. 
At  last,  when  I  was  within  Ions;;  rifle-shot,  the  animal  >;ave 
a  slujitiisii  roll  to  one  side,  and  suddenly  lifted  his  head. 
The  movement  was  evidently  independint  of  ine,  for  he 
strained  his  neck  in  nearly  the  opi)osite  direction.  Then,  for 
the  first  time,  1  fount  1  that  I  had  a  rival  seal-hunter  in  a  largo 
bear,  who  was  on  his  belly  like  myself,  waiting  with  commend- 


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im.     K.WE'S    JOIItSKV 


•2V, 


al)lc  puti.'ncc  an.l  nM  feet  for  u  fliaiur  of  noiiror  approach. 
•Wliat  sliouia  1  .lo?        tli<-  hear  was  .louhtlcss  worth  lii(.r<-  to 
iiu'  tliati  the  seal  ;   l.ilt  tlii'  .seal  was  now  within  slu.t,  ami  the 
lH.:,r  a  l.inl  in  th.'  l.u<h  !     Besides,  my  Imllet  once  inv.-stea 
in   the   seal  Woul.l   leave  me  .hfeneejess.      I    miuht    l)e  ^ivm« 
a  Miimer  to  a  hear,  and  savinu;  inys..lf  for  his  dessert.'     These- 
meditations  were  soon  brought  to  a  close  ;  for  a  second  move- 
ment of  the  seal  so  arousetl  my  hunt.-r's  instincts  that  1  pulled 
the    trifm<>r.     My    cal'    i'l<»"f    «>^l'h>«l«''l-     Instantly    with    a 
llounderinu  splash,  the  seal  descended  into  the  deep,  and  the 
hear,  with  three  or  four  rajml  leaps,  stood  disconsolately  hy 
the  place  of  his  (h'sceiit.     For  a  sin-le  mommt    we  stared 
each  other  in  the  face,  and  then,  with  that  di^-ntion  which  is 
the  better  i)art  of  valor,  the  hear  ran  otT  in  one  direction,  and 
1  followecl  his  exami)le  in  the  other." 

Toward  the  end  of  .\pril,  Dr.  Kane  ha  '  comphted  his  prep- 
arations for  his  KraiKl  sledtic  journey  to  the  north. 

"It  was,"  he  writes,  "to  Ix'  the  crowniuM;  expeilition  of  the 
cami)aijin  to  attain  the  ultima  thdv  of  the  Creenland  shor(>, 
measure  the  wast.'  that  lay  between  it  an.l  the  unknown  we>t. 
anil  seek  round  the  furthest  circle  of  the  ic(>  for  an  outh-t  to 
the  mysterious  channels  beyond." 

"The  worst  thoufiht  I  have  now  in  setting  out,"  writes  Dr. 
Kane,  Ai>ril  20,  "is  that  of  the  entire  crew  I  can  leave  biit  two 
behind  in  al)le  condition,  and  the  doctor  and  I'.onsall  are  the 
onlv  two  olhcers  who  can  help  Ohlsen.  This  is  our  fonr, 
fouV  able-bodied  and  six  disabled  to  keep  tlie  brifr ;  the  com- 
mander and  seven  men,  scarcely  better  upon  the  averaMie, 
out  ui)on  the  ice.  Eighteen  souls,  thank  Clod  !  certainly  not 
eijiliteen  bodies  ! 

"  I  am  {ioinjj;  this  time  to  follow  the  ice-belt  (Eis-fod)  to  the 
(Jreat  Cdacierof  Ihunboldt ,  aii<l  there  h)ad  up  with  i)emmican 
from  our  cache  of  last  October.  From  this  point  I  expect  to 
stretch  along  the  face  of  the  glacier  inclining  to  the  west  of 


MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TEST    CHART 

ANS!  Old  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    7- 


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/■///■;  inn.AT   win  it:  mhitii 


north,  and  make  an  attempt  to  cross  the  ice  of  the  American 
.^itlf.  Once  on  stiiooth  ice,  near  this  shore,  I  may  jiass  to  the 
west,  and  enter  the  lar^c  indentation  wliose  existence  I  can 
infer  with  nearly  i)osiiive  certainty.  In  this  I  may  find  an 
ontlet,  and  determine  tlie  state  of  thinjis  beyond  tlie  ice- 
cloiijied  area  of  this  hay. 

"  I  talv(>  with  me  iM'inniican  and  bread  and  t(>a,  a  canvas  tent, 
five  i)y  six,  and  two  sleepins^-baiis  of  reindeer  skin.  The  sled<>;e 
lias  been  built  on  boai'd  l)y  iNIr.  Ohlsen.  It  is  very  lijiht,  of 
hickory,  and  bnt  nine  feet  lonj;-.  Our  kitchen  is  a  soup  kettle 
fur  meltin-i'  snow  and  making  tea,  arranj:;ed  so  as  to  l)oil  with 
either  lanl  or  spirits. 

•'For  instruments  I  have  a  fine  Cambey  sextant,  in  addi- 
tion to  my  ordinary  i)ocket-instrument,  an  artificial  horizon, 
and  a  Barrow's  din-circle.  Thes(>  occupy  little  room  upon  the 
^led<ie.  ^ly  telesctijie  and  chronometer  I  carry  on  my  per- 
t^on.'' 

Ill  e(iui])ped,  enf(>ebled  in  health,  discourafji'*!  by  the  failure 
of  their  caches  which  had  been  l)roken  into  by  bears,  tlH>  little 
party  stru.<>:<iled  on  as  lonji  as  strenjith  and  provisions  la.sted. 
''The  most  ])ictures(iue  portion  of  the  North  Clreenland 
coast,"  writes  Dr.  Kane,  "is  to  be  found  after  leaving  Capo 
(Jeorjie  Russell  and  ai)])roachiiiti:  Dallas  Ray.  The  red  sand- 
stones contrast  most  favorably  with  the  l)lank  whiteness, 
associating;  the  cold  tints  of  tlie  dreary  Arctic  landscape  with 
the  warm  eolorin<!;  of  mon^  southern  lands.  The  sea.sons  have 
acted  on  the  (hfferent  layers  of  the  cliff  so  as  to  f2;iv(>  them  the 
appearance  of  jointed  masonry,  and  th(>  narrow  line  of  preen- 
slone  at  the  toj)  ea]is  them  with  well-siimilated  battlements. 
One  of  these  interesting  freaks  of  nature  became  known  to 
us  as  the  'Three  BrotluT  Turrets.' 

"Th(>  sl()i)in,u;  nibl)idi  at  the  foot  of  the  coast-wall  led  up, 
like  an  artificial  cans  way.  to  a  ^orfic  that  was  streaming-  at 
noonday  \\1th  the  southern  smi :    while  evervwliere  else  the 


L\,l, 


UREAT    CLAilKlt    OF    lirMIlOLDT 


■211 


roc-k  stood  out  in  the  l)l;u-k('st  shadow.  Just  at  tlic  od<j;o  of 
tlu'  \mght  opening  rose  the  tlroaniy  scnihlancc  of  a  castle, 
flanked  with  tri])le  towers,  completely  isolated  and  defined. 
These  were  th(>  'Three  Brother  Turrets.' 

"I  was  .still  more  struck  with  another  of  the  same  sort, 
in  the  imm(MUate  neighborhood  of  my  halting  ground  l)(\vond 
Sunny  Gorge,  to  the  north  of  latitude  71)°.  A  single  dilT  of 
green  stone,  marked  by  the  slaty  limestone  that  once  encased 
i',  rears  itself  from  a  cnunbled  base  of  sandstones,  like  the 
boldly  chis(>lled  ramj^art  of  an  ancient  city.  At  its  northern 
extremity,  on  the  brink  of  a  deep  ravine  which  has  worn  its 
way  among  the  ruins,  there  stands  a  solitary  colunni  or  min- 
aret-tower, as  shari)ly  finishtMl  as  if  it  had  Ymni  cast  for  the 
Place  ^'endome.  Yet  the  length  of  the  shaft  alone  is  four 
lumdred  and  eighty  feet  ;  and  it  rises  on  a  plinth  or  pedestal 
itself  two  hundred  and  eighty  fe(>t  high." 

But  by  far  the  mos+  remarkable  feature  of  the  Great  \\liito 
North  visited  by  Dr.  ivane  was  the  "Great  Glacier  of  Hiun- 
boldt."  "I  will  not  attempt  to  do  Ix'tter  by  florid  descrip- 
tion," he  writes.  "Men  only  rhapsodize  about  Niagara  and 
the  ocean.  My  notes  .speak  simj^ly  of  the  '  long  (>vershining 
lin(^  of  cliff  diminished  to  a  well-pointed  wedge  in  the  per- 
spective' ;  and  again,  of  'the  face  of  glistening  ice,  sweeping 
in  a  long  curve  from  the  low  interior,  the  facets  in  front 
inlensely  illuminated  by  the  sun.'  But  this  line  of  cliff  ro.se 
in  solid  glassy  wall  three  hundn>d  fe(>t  above  the  water-level, 
with  an  unknown,  unfathomable  depth  below  it  ;  and  its 
curved  face,  sixty  miles  in  length  from  Cape  Agassiz  to  Cape 
P^)r])es,  vanished  into  unknoAMi  space  at  not  more  than  a  single 
day's  railroad  travel  from  tlu>  P()l(>.  Th<>  interior  with  which 
it  communicated,  and  from  whi,'h  it  issued,  was  an  unsur- 
veycd  nicr  de  (jlace,  an  ice-ocean,  to  the  eye  of  boundless 
ilimensions. 

"  It  was  in  full  sight  —  the  mighty  crystal  bridge  which 


iii 


I'll 


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H^i 

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h^'i 

i 

\     ;! 


218 


V7/i;    ailEAT     WIIITK    NOinil 


coniiccts  tho  two  continents  of  Aincricu  nnd  rircrnland.  I 
say  continents,  for  Circenland,  however  insulated  it  may  ulti- 
mately prove  to  he.  is  in  nia.-.s  strictly  ('((iitinenlal.  Its  last 
l)os>il)l('  :i\is,  mea>ured  fi'om  Cajx'  Farewell  to  the  line  of 
tiiis  fihiciei-.  in  the  neijihliorhood  of  the  eiiihtieth  parallel, 
}j;ives  a  len<;tli  of  moic  than  twelve  hundred  miles,-  not 
mat(>nally  less  than  that  of  Australia  from  its  northern  to  its 
southern  cape.  Imagine  now  the  centre  of  such  a  continent, 
occupied  through  nearly  its  whol(>  extent  I)y  a  deep  u-ihroken 
sea  of  ice,  that  fiat  hers  ])erennial  increase  from  tlie  water-shed 
of  vast  snow-covered  mountains,  and  all  the  ])reci))itation  of 
tlio  atm()s))here  u])on  its  own  surface.  Ima.nine  this  niovinjj; 
onward  like  a  <>;reat  <;lacial  river,  seekinji,-  outlets  at  every 
fiord  and  valle\ ,  ;'ollinf!;  icy  cataracts  and  Iiavinj;-  at  last 
reached  the  nortli(>rn  limit  of  the  land  that  has  home  it  uj), 
pourini;-  out  a  mijihty  frozen  t(MTent  into  unknown  Arctic 
space. 

"It  is  thus,  and  only  thus,  that  we  must  form  a  just  con- 
cei)tion  of  a  ])hen(imenon  like  this  (ireat  CUacier.  I  had 
looked  in  my  own  mind  for  such  an  a])])earance,  should  I  ever 
he  fortunate  enough  to  reach  the  northern  coast  of  (Irec^nland. 
But,  now  tha*^  it  was  hefore  n\v,  I  could  hardly  reaHze  it.  I 
had  nH'ofinized  in  my  ([uiet  lihrarj-  at  home,  tlH>  heautiful 
analojiies  which  Korhes  and  Stu(h'n  have  (leveloi)ed  hetweeu 
tho  glacier  and  the  river.  J?ut  1  could  not  comj^rehentl  at  first 
this  ('omi)lete  suhstitution  of  ice  for  water. 

"It  was  slowly  that  th(>  conviction  dawned  on  mo  that  I 
was  looking;  upon  the  counterpart  of  tho  fj;roat  river  system  of 
Arctic  Asia  and  America.  Vet  hen^  wer(>  no  water-feeders 
from  the  south.  J'lvery  ixirticle  of  moisture  had  its  orifiin 
within  the  ])olar  circle,  and  had  l)een  converted  into  ice. 
There  were  no  vast  alluvions,  no  forest  or  animal  traces  horno 
down  hy  liiiuid  torrents.  Hero  was  a  plastic,  moving,  .s(^mi- 
solid  mass,  o])literatino:  life,  swallowinu;  rocks  and  islands,  and 


l\  .  .1. 


s 


I 


If  •'' 

! .  ■"■■ 


'\         i'> 


•I  "■ 


»  ^ 

!        .1 


f 


O" 


•  '*.  ''. 


\f 


i\   4 


hktur.x  and  illness  uf  du.    kane 


219 


ploushins  its  way  with  irresistible  nuinli  throiisli  the  crust 
of  ail  invcstinji  sea." 

liy  May  ">,  Dr.  Kane  became  delirious  and  faiuled  every 
time  he  was  talvcii  from  the  tent.  "My  comrades  would 
kindly  persuade  me  that,  even  had  I  continued  sound,  we 
could  not  have  i)roceetled  on  our  journey.  The  snows  were 
very  heavy,  and  increasinjf  as  we  went  ;  some  of  the  drifts 
))erfectly  imi)assai)le,  and  the  level  floes  often  four  feet  deep 
in  yieldiuf^  snow.  The  scurvy  had  already  broken  out  amonj; 
the  men,  with  symptoms  like  my  own  ;  and  Morton,  our 
strouf^est  man,  was  bef^innins  to  t!;ive  way. 

"It  is  the  reverse  of  comfort  to  me  that  they  shared  my 
weakness.  All  that  I  could  remember  with  pl(>asurable  feel- 
ing is,  that  to  five  brav(>  men,  Morton,  Kiley,  Hickey,  Ste- 
j)henson,  and  Hans,  themselves  scarcely  able  to  travel,  I  owe 
my  preservation.  They  carried  me  back  by  forced  marches, 
after  caching  our  stores  and  India-rubber  boat  near  Dallas 
Bay,  in  kit.  79°  o',  lons-  0(j°." 

Such  was  the  "failure"  of  the  Grand  Expedition  ! 

The  si'idle  hand  of  summer  now  cwtended  much-needed 
relief  to  the  stricken  cn^w.  Seals  be^an  to  appear  and  in 
such  large  numliers  that  there  was  no  want  of  fresh  meat, 
which  worketl  wonders  in  the  health  of  those  suffering  with 
.scurvy.  Snow-buntings  and  gulls  and  eider-ducks  came  wing- 
ing their  way  to  tlu>ir  northern  breeding  places — and  the  warm 
sun  Ijrought  out  the  welcome  verdure  with  marvell(3us  rapidity. 

Dr.  Kane's  lu>alth  improved,  but  he  was  obliged  to  give 
up  further  sledge  journeys.  To  Dr.  Hayes  Avas  intrusted  a 
journey  in  which  he  reached  the  o]-»ix)sito  coast  of  Grinnell 
Land,  which  he  surveyed  as  far  as  Cape  Frazer.  On  June  1, 
Morton  left  the  brig  with  Hans,  the  Eskimo,  for  the  purpose 
of  surveying  the  Greenland  coast  beyond  the  Humboldt 
Glacier.  The  lateness  of  the  season  rendered  much  of  the 
ice  extremely  unsafe. 


^ 


li 


: 


III! 

ii! 


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1 1' 


f'.. 


H:,i 


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'////;    CIIKAT     WIHTK    NOUTII 


Oil  June  2(i,  IS.")!.  ^^l)r(()Il  rcjichcd  the  i).)I(l  hciulliind  of 
('ape  ("oiistitiUioii,  when-  ihc  surf  daslicd  so  hiriously  against 
the  hij-li,  ov(  rliaii,iiiii;>;  clilVs,  that  further  prof^rcss  was  iinpos- 
sihlc.  ("liinhiiiji;  from  rock  to  rock,  in  the  hope  of  findinji;  a 
pass,  he  stood  at  last  at  a  hcij^ht  of  tlwcc  huiuh-cd  feet  and 
Ktokcd  out  upon  a  fircat  waste  of  waters,  stretchiu};-  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach  into  the  unknown  nortli.  About  him  the 
flocks  of  sea-swallows,  kittiwakes,  and  brent-fivese  blended 
their  discordant  notes  with  the  thunderous  roll  of  the  sea. 
From  ('ai)e  Constitution  the  coast  of  Washinj^ton  Land 
Ireiuh'd  to  the  east,  but  far  to  the  northwest,  beyond  the  open 
waters  of  the  channel,  a  i)eak  terminating!;  a  ranj^e  of  moim- 
tains  was  seen  to\verin<i,  at  a  heijiht  of  from  twenty-five  hun- 
dred to  three  thousand  feet,  and  this  rem()t(>  landmark 
received  th(>  name  of  Mount  Tarry.  On  the  2r)th  of  June, 
Morton  coimnenced  his  return  and  reached  the  brifj;  on  the 
lOth  of  .July,  "stajisicrin};-  by  the  side  of  the  limi)in}!;  dofrs, 
one  of  which  was  ridinj;'  as  a  jjassenjicr  ujion  the  sle(l{j;e." 

Meanwhile,  the  brief  sunnner  was  rapidly  waninj^;  there 
seemed  no  promise  of  the  ice  bn'akinj;;  up,  and  the  alarming 
l)rospt'ct  of  passin-;  a  second  winter  in  the  ice  forced  itself 
ui)on  the  <>;allant  commander  and  h"s  brave  and  suffermg  crew. 

"We  have  no  coal  for  a  second  winter  here,"  he  writes; 
''our  stock  of  fnsh  i)r()visions  is  utterly  exhausted  ;  and  our 
,siek  need  chany:e,  as  essential  to  their  recoverj'." 

An  unsuccessful  attempt  was  made  to  reach  Sir  Edward 
Belcher's  scjuadron  at  Beechey  Island. 

"Th(>  season  travels  on,"  writes  Dr.  Kane  on  August  1.^; 
"the  young  ice  grows  thicker,  aiid  my  messmates'  faces  grow 
longer  every  day.  I  have  again  to  jilay  buffoon  to  keep  up 
the  spirits  of  the  party.  A  raven  !  The  snowlnrds  l)egin  to 
fly  to  th(>  south  in  groups,  coming  at  night  to  our  !)rig  to  hover 
on  the  rigging.  Wint(>r  is  hurrying  U{)on  us.  The  poppies 
are  (juite  wilted." 


RETllty    A.\D    ILLXESS    OF    Dii.     I\A.\t: 


•2H 


Two  (lays  later  we  find  the  oiitry  :  — 

"In  five  (lays  the  sprir.fj;  tides  come  hack:  should  we  fail 
in  passing  with  them,  I  think  our  fortunes  are  fixed.  The 
young  ice  bore  a  man  this  morning:  it  had  a  had  look,  this 
man-supporting  August  ice  !  The  teniix-rature  never  falls 
below  2S°  ;    but  it  is  cold  o'  nights  with  ii)  fire." 

"August  IS,  Friday,"  he  writes.  "nMluced  our  allowance 
of  wood  to  six  iiounds  a  nu^al.  This,  among  eighteen  mouths, 
is  one-third  of  a  pound  of  fuel  each.  It  allows  us  cofTe(>  twice 
a  day,  and  .soup  once.  Our  faro  besides  tliis  is  cold  pork 
boiled  in  (luantity  and  eaten  as  ro(niired.  This  sort  of  thing 
works  badly;  but  I  must  save  coal  for  other  emergencies. 
I  see  'darkness  ahead' ! 

"I  inspected  the  ice  again  to-day.  Bad  !  Bad  I  —  I  nuist 
look  another  winter  in  the  face.  I  do  not  shrink  from  the 
thought,  but,  while  we  have  a  chance  alunid,  it  is  my  first  duty 
to  have  all  things  in  r(>adiness  to  meet  it.  It  is  horrihk — 
yes,  that  is  the  word  —  to  look  forward  to  another  year  of 
disea.se  and  darknt'ss  to  be  met  without  fresh  food  and  without 
fuel.  I  should  meot  it  with  a  more  t(>mpered  sadness  if  I 
had  no  comrades  to  think  for  and  jirotect." 

"August  20,  Sunday. —  Rest  for  all  hands.  The  daily 
praj'or  is  no  longer  Lord,  acce])!  our  gratitude  and  bless  our 
undertaking,'  but,  'Lord,  acc(^pt  our  gratitude  and  restore 
us  to  our  homes.'  The  ice  shows  no  change  ;  after  a  boat  and 
foot  journey  around  the  entire  southeastern  curve  (^f  the  bay, 
no  signs  !" 

The  future  looked  so  gloomy,  and  Dr.  Kane's  apprehension 
for  the  ultimate  safety  of  his  party  was  so  grave,  that  he  deter- 
mined to  erect  a  cairn  in  a  conspicuous  spot  upon  a  cliff  look- 
ing out  upon  the  icy  desert,  and  on  a  broad  face  of  rock  the 

words  — 

"  Advance 

"A.D.  lSo3-ol" 


■  ~l. 


Mi 


I' 
fl' 


4' 


p? 


».  i< 


M! 


3 

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ooo 


rilK    (illKAT     WIIITi:    SOUTH 


were  iviiiitcil  in  letter-;  wliicli  t'oiild  he  read  ;it  a  ilistaiico.  A 
pyramid  of  heavy  stones  perclied  aliove  it.  was  marked  with 
the  ('hri->tiaii  symlxd  of  the  <'ro>s.  "It  was  not  without  u 
hoHer  sentiment  than  tliat  ol'  mere  utility  that  I  plared  under 
this  the  (•oliin>  of  our  two  poor  eonn'adcs.  It  was  our  Ix'acoii 
;ind  their  j;r:ivcstone.  Near  this  ii  iiole  was  worl<ed  into  tlie 
rock,  and  a  paper.  <  nclosed  in  .liiass.  sealed  in  with  mehed 
lead.  This  paper  eontuiiied  a  careful  record  of  the  expedition 
up  to  date. 

"The  memory  of  the  first  winter  (juarters  of  Sir  J(»hn  Frank- 
lin, and  the  i)ainful  feelings  with  which,  wliile  standinj;-  hy 
the  <>;raves  of  his  deail,  I  had  five  years  hefore  sought  for 
written  si^ns  i)ointiii,u;  to  the  fate  of  the  living,  matle  me 
careful  to  avoid  a  similar  iieiilect." 

On  .August  2t,  the  last  hope  of  liherating  the  vessel  van- 
ished, and,  calling  his  ollicers  and  crew  together.  Dr.  Kane 
explained  to  tlx'tn  the  full  gravity  of  the  situation,  and  though 
he  was  fully  di^terminecl  to  stand  l>v  tlie  brig  and  felt  that  an 
attemi)ted  retreat  to  the  settlement  of  T'pernavik  so  late  in 
the  season  would  certainly  fail,  he  nevertheless  gave  his  full 
permissioi\  to  those  desiring  to  leav(\  ;nid  tlie  promise  of 
a  brother's  welcome,  shf)uld  they  be  driven  back.  The 
roll  was  then  c;Jled,  and  eight  of  the  m<'ti  out  of  the  seventeen 
survivors  of  the  ])arty  volunteered  to  remain  in  the  sliij). 
The  rest  made  ready  to  abandon  her,  and  with  a  generous 
division  of  storeys  and  appliances  left  the  ship  on  the  2Sth, 
"The  party  moved  off  with  the  elastin  step  of  men  confident 
in  their  purpose,  and  were  out  of  siglit  in  a  few  hours." 

Re(hice(l  in  numbers,  many  of  them  lielpl(>ss.  tlie  waning 
efficiency  of  ali,  combined  with  the  impending  winter  darkness 
and  t  ;ie  scant  sui->ply  of  fuel  and  stones,  tended  sadly  to  dejiress 
the  isolaletl  grou]i  of  des])airing  men.  But  their  intrepid 
commander,  realizing  the  necessity  of  immediate  actiim,  put 
all  Iiaudr-,  .>ick  aiul  well,  to  Work  according  to  their  ,>treuglh, 
in  prejwration  for  tlie  approaching  of  winter. 


SECOXI)     WIXTEU    l.\    THE    ICE 


223 


Dr.  Kane  had  made  a  careful  study  of  the  Mskiiuos,  and  liad 
('(-tuo  to  tlic  wise  coiiclu^iou  that  \\\v\y  I'oriii  ot"  haliitatiuus 
and  then-  ])ccuhar  diet,  miinis  their  inithiii't  and  filth,  was  the 
safest  and  best  method  of  existence  umler  the  unusual  cir- 
cumstances of  an  Arctic  winter.  He  therefore  determin(>d 
to  borrow  a  lesson  fnim  the  natives  and.  as  f;ir  as  j)()ssil)le, 
turn  the  \m)X,  into  an  ujhw.  The  (|Uarter-deck  was  padde(i 
down  with  moss  and  turf,  so  as  to  form  a  nearly  coM-proof 
coverinjii;.  Below  u  space  some  eiv;hteen  feet  s(|uare  was 
packed  from  lloor  to  ceilinf;  witli  inner  walls  of  the  same  ma- 
terial. The  door  was  carefully  calked  with  plaster-of-Paris 
and  connnon  paste,  covered  a  couple  of  inches  deej)  with 
Manila  oakum,  and  carpeted  with  canvas.  A  low  moss- 
lined  tunnel  was  arranged  to  coimect  with  the  hold,  and 
divi(h'd  with  as  many  doors  and  ciutains  as  possible*  tt)  keep 
out  the  cold  draughts. 

Larue  banks  of  snow  were  also  thrown  u])  alonj;  tlu^  brig's 
sides  to  keej)  off  the  cold  wind.  These  arduous  labours  in  the 
open  air  greatly  imi)roved  the  health  and  spirits  of  the  men. 

Intercourse  with  the  Eskimos  at  the  winter  settlements 
of  Ktah  and  Anoatok,  distant  some  thirty  and  seventy  miles, 
led  to  a  treaty  by  which  the  Eskimos,  for  such  presents  as 
needles.  ))ins,  and  knives,  engaged  to  furnish  walrus  and  fresh 
seal  meat,  to  the  shij).  Common  hunting  j)arties  were  or- 
ganized, and  the  white  men  were  directed  })y  the  natives  where 
to  find  the  gam(>.  To  tluvse  supplies  of  fresh  meat,  Kane  and 
his  coini:)anions  owed  their  salvation,  and  the  Eskimos  on 
their  part  learned  to  regard  the  white  men  as  their  bene- 
factors, and  sincerely  mourned  their  departure. 

13(>fore  the  darkness  came  on.  Dr.  Kane  again  nearly  lost 
his  life  in  an  attemi)t  to  si-cure  a  seal  —  while  out  in  the  ic(\ 
Hans  had  just  cried  out,  '' Ph>^(']i  !  pu.'<cii  wid  !  seal!  seal!" 
"At  the  same  instant,"'  writes  Dr.  Kane,  "the  dogs  })Ounded 
for\vard,  and,  as  I  looked  up,  I  saw  crowds  of  gray  netsik, 


:h 


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'////•;  i;i:h:\T   wiiiiK  sonru 


tlic  roiiuli  or  hi>|)i(l  seal  of  the  whiilcis  disporting  in  tin  open 
sea  of  water." 

"I  liad  hardly  wtlcoincd  the  spectacle  when  I  saw  that  we 
had  passe(|  upon  a  new  heh  of  ice  that  was  obviously  unsafe. 
To  the  riv;ht  and  left  and  front  was  one  jJireat  expanse  of  snow- 
flowered  ice.  The  nearest  solid  floe  was  a  mere  lump,  which 
stood  like  an  island  in  the  white  level.  To  turn  was  impos- 
sible ;  we  had  to  keep  uj)  our  piit.  We  ur^ed  on  the  do^s 
with  whip  and  voice,  tln'  ice  rolling  like  leather  beneath  the 
sledge-runners  ;  it  was  more  than  a  mile  to  the  lump  of  solid 
ice.  Fear  ^tive  to  the  poor  beasts  their  utmost  speed,  and 
our  voices  were  soon  hushed  to  silence. 

''This  susi)ense,  unrelieved  by  action  or  efforts,  was  intoler- 
able; we  knew  that  there  was  no  remedy  but  to  reach  the 
floe,  and  that  everythinfi  tlepenth'd  upon  our  dogs,  and  our 
do^s  alone.  A  moment's  check  would  plunno  the  whole 
concern  into  the  rapid  tideway;  no  jiresence  of  mind  or 
resource,  bodily  or  mental,  could  avail  us.  The  seals — for 
we  were  now  near  enoujjh  to  see  their  expressive  faces  —  were 
lookinfj;  at  us  with  that  stranjj;e  curiosity  which  seems  to  bo 
their  characteristic  expression  ;  we  must  have  passed  .some 
fifty  of  them,  brea-st-high  out  of  water,  mocking  us  by  their 
self-complacency. 

"This  desperate  race  against  fate  could  not  last  :  the  rolling 
of  the  tough  salt-water  ice  terrified  our  dogs;  and  when 
within  fifty  paces  from  the  floe,  they  paused.  Th(>  left-hand 
runner  went  through:  our  leader  'Toodlamick'  followed, 
and  in  one  second  the  entire  left  of  the  s!  'dge  was  submerged. 
My  first  thought  was  to  lib(>rate  the  dogs.  I  leaned  forward 
to  cut  poor  'Tood's'  traces,  and  the  next  minute  was  swim- 
ming in  a  little  circle  of  pasty  ice  and  water  alongside  him. 
Hans,  dear  good  fellow,  drew  near  to  help  me,  uttering  piteous 
expressions  in  broken  English  :  but  I  ordered  him  to  throw 
himself  on  his  belly  with  his  hands  and  legs  extended,  and  to 


Ll,,i. 


I.  I.  Havks 


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PRIVATIOXS    AND    SUFFERiyGS 


22o 


J^ 


make  for  the  island  l)y  coggiiifj;  himself  forward  with  his  jack- 
knife.  In  the  nieantini(>  —  a  mere  instant  —  I  was  (iuundor- 
infi  about  with  sledge,  dogs,  and  lines,  in  a  confused  puddle 
around  me. 

"I  succeetled  in  cutting  i)oor  Tood's  lines  and  letting  him 
si-ramble  to  the  ice,  for  the  poor  fellow  was  drowning  me  with 
his  i)iteous  caresses,  and  made  my  way  for  the  sUulge ;  but  I 
found  that  it  woukl  not  buoy  me,  and  that  I  had  no  resource 
but  to  try  the  circumference  of  the  hole.  '  Around  this  I 
paddled  faithfully,  the  nns(>rable  ice  always  yielding  when  my 
hopes  of  a  lodgment  were  greatest.  During  this  process,  I 
enlarged  my  circle  of  ojKTations  to  a  very  uncomfortable 
diameter,  and  was  b(  ginning  to  feel  weaker  after  every  effort. 
Hans,  meanwhile,  had  reached  the  firm  ice,  and  was  on  his 
kiHM's,  like  a  good  Moravian,  praying  incoherently  in  English 
and  Eskimo  ;  at  every  fresh  crushing-in  of  the  ice  he  would 
ejaculate  'God:'  and  when  I  recommenced  my  paddling 
he  recommenced  his  ])rayers. 

"I  was  nearly  gone.  ]My  knife  had  b(>en  lost  in  cutting 
out  the  dogs  ;  and  a  spare  one  which  I  carried  in  my  trousers- 
pocket  was  so  (Mn-elojK'd  in  the  wet  skins  that  I  could  not 
rvM-h  it.  I  owed  my  (>xtrication  at  last  to  a  newly  broken 
team-dog,  who  was  still  fast  to  the  sledge  and  in  struggling 
carried  one  of  the  runners  chock  against  the  edge  of  the  circle. 
All  my  ])revious  attemjits  to  use  the  sledge  as  a  bridge  had 
failed,  for  it  broke  through,  to  the  nuich  greater  injury  of  the 
ice.  I  felt  it  was  a  last  chance.  I  threw  myself  on  my  back, 
so  as  to  lessen  as  much  as  ])ossibl(>  my  weight,  and  placed  the 
n:ipe  of  my  neck  against  the  run  or  edge  of  tho  ice  ;  then  with 
caution  slowly  bent  my  leg,  and,  placing  the  ball  of  my 
moccasincMl  foot  against  th(^  sledgv,  I  i)ressed  steadily  against 
the  runner,  listening  to  the  half-yielding  crunch  of  the  ice 
bi'neath. 

"Presently  I  felt  that  my  head  was  pillowed  by  the  ice, 


il'l 


) 


H-i 


t 


»'  ?■ 


>i 


I   5  I 


I  I.  i 


•2-2Q 


THE    UliEAT    WHITE   SOIiTU 


aiKl  that  my  wi't  fur  jumper  was  .sliding  up  the  surface. 
Next  came  my  sliuulders  ;  tliey  were  fairly  on.  One  more 
decided  push  and  I  was  launched  U])  on  the  ice  and  safe.  I 
reached  the  ice-fio(>,  and  was  frictioned  by  Hans  with  frif;htful 
zeal.  \\'e  saved  all  the  dogs,  but  the  sledge,  kayack,  t(>nts, 
guns,  snow-shoes,  and  everything  besides,  were  left  Jjehind. 
The  thermometer  at  8°  will  keej)  them  frozen  fast  in  the  sledgo 
till  we  can  come  and  cut  them  out. 

"On  reaching  the  siiij),  after  a  twelve-mile  trot,  I  found  so 
much  of  comfort  and  warm  welcome  that  I  forgot  my  failure, 
Th(-  fire  was  lit  U]),  and  erne  of  our  few  birds  slaughtered  forth- 
with. It  is  with  real  gratitude  that  I  look  back  upon  my 
escape,  and  bless  the  great  presiding  (5oodnesi-  for  the  very 
many  resources  which  r(>main  to  us." 

On  December  12,  the  party  which  had  deserted  the  ship 
returne(l;  they  IkuI  had  a  bitter  experience  struggling  for 
more  than  four  nuMiths  among  the  hunmiocks  and  snow-drifts, 
and  W(>re  in  a  i)itiable  condition. 

"The  thermometer  was  at  —  oO" ",  writes  Dr.  Kane; 
"they  were  covered  with  rime  and  snow,  and  were  fainting 
with  hmiger.  It  was  necessary  to  use  caution  in  taking  them 
below  ;  for  after  an  exjiosure  of  such  fearful  intensity  and 
duration  as  tliey  had  gone  through,  tlu'  warmth  of  the  cabin 
would  have  ])rostrated  them  comi)letely.  They  had  jour- 
neyed three  hundre<l  ;tnd  fifty  mih^s  ;  and  their  last  run  from 
the  bay  near  Etah,  some  seventy  miles  in  a  right  line,  was 
through  the  hummocks  at  this  apjialling  temiwrature.  Poor 
fellows!  as  they  threw  ojK'n  their  Eskimo  garments  l)y  the 
stove,  how  they  relished  th(>  scanty  luxuries  which  we  had  to 
offer  them.  The  coffee,  .and  the  meat-biscuit  soup,  and  the 
molasses,  and  the  wheat  l)read.  even  the  salt  pork,  which  our 
s<'urvy  forbade  the  rest  of  us  to  touch  —  how  they  relished  it 
all !  For  more  than  two  months  they  had  lived  on  frozen 
seal  and  walrus-meat." 


PRIVATloys    AM)    SUf^FintlXCrS 


227 


To  Dr.  Kano's  (l(>tormination  to  stand  by  the  brifj;  was 
<lu('  tho  preservation  of  the  entire  l)arty,  I'or  had  he  been  less 
firm  in  his  resolution,  the  entire  expedition  would  un- 
doubt(Hlly  have  ])erished  on  the  ie(\ 

"February  closes,"  writes  the  heroic  leader;  "thank  Ciod 
the  laps(>  of  its  twenty-eight  (hiys  !  Should  the  thirty-ono 
of  the  coming  March  not  drag  us  further  downward,  we  may 
hope  for  a  successful  close  to  this  dreary  drama.  By  April  10 
we  should  have  seals  ;  and  when  they  come,  if  we  remain  to 
welcome  them,  we  can  call  oiu'selves  saved.  Biit  a  fail'  review 
of  our  prospects  tells  me  that  I  must  look  the  lion  in  the  face. 
The  scurvy  is  steadily  gaining  on  us.  I  do  my  best  to  sus- 
tain the  mor(>  desperate  cases,  but  as  fast  as  I  liartially  build 
up  one,  another  is  stricken  down.  Of  the  six  work(>rs  of  our 
I)arty,  as  I  countetl  them  a  month  ago,  two  are  unable  to  do 
out-door  work,  and  the  remaining  four  divide  the  duty  of 
the  shi])  among  them.  Hans  musters  his  r(>maining  energies 
to  conduct  the  hunt.  Petersen  is  his  disheartened,  moping 
assistant.  The  other  two,  Bonsall  and  myself,  have  all  the 
daily  offices  of  househokl  and  hospital. 

"We  chop  five  large  sacks  of  ice,  cut  six  fathoms  of  eight- 
inch  hawser  into  junks  of  a  foot  each,  serve  out  the  meat 
when  we  have  it,  hack  at  the  molasses,  and  hew  out  with 
crow-bar  and  axe  the  pork  and  dried  apples  ;  pass  up  the 
foul  slop  and  cleansings  of  our  dormitory,  and  in  a  word,  cook, 
scull  ionize,  and  attend  the  sick. 

"Added  to  this,  for  five  nights  running,  I  have  kept  watch 
from  8  P.M.  to  4  a.m.,  catching  such  naps  as  T  could  in  the  day 
without  changing  my  clothes,  but  carefully  waking  every 
hour  to  note  thermometers." 

The  sufferings  endured  during  the  month  of  March  are 
painfully  interesting.  Had  Dr.  Kane's  strength  given  way 
at  tliis  juncture,  the  whole  party,  deprived  of  their  leading 
spirit,  must  have  perished.    He  ullributco  his  comparative 


<!. 


^  I'" 


r 


i   II 


.   1.  ' 

»,  '. 

3  l- 

♦1  - 

■:.i 

'J 

2-2S 


Till-:    a  RE  AT     WHITE    SOUTH 


imnuinity  from  scurvy  to  "rut -soup."  These  rodents,  sur- 
viviiiff  tlie  hlejik  winter,  had  overrun  tlie  sliip  ;  hut  he  was  the 
only  man  who  would  eat  them.  Having  no  fuel,  the  only 
method  of  heatinjj;  was  the  Eskimo  method  of  lamps  ;  th(! 
.soot  and  fatty  earhon  hlaekinjj;  everythiiifi  on  which  it  rested. 

Heroic  methods  were  made  to  keej)  in  touch  with  the 
friendly  natives,  and  Hans,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  saved 
the  life  of  the  party  hy  .securing  fresh  meat  from  them. 

To  add  to  their  troubles,  two  men  attemjjted  to  desert 
at  this  critical  juncture;  only  one  succeeded  —  (Jodfrey- — 
who  joined  tlie  Eskimos.  But  stran<!;e  as  it  may  seem,  this 
man  n^turned  with  a  sujiply  of  meat  for  his  desperate  com- 
rades, while  refusing  to  return  on  hoard  shij).  Fearinjj;  (lod- 
fr(\v  mijjht  have  done  !)odily  harm  to  Hans,  who  was  ahseiit. 
Dr.  Kane  determined  to  follow  the  man  and  hrinj;  him  hack. 
To  this  end  he  mad(>  a  journey  alonj;  with  a  do^  sledn(>  of 
over  eighty  miles  to  the  Eskimo  settlement,  and  returned  with 
his  man. 

ThcTc  was  no  other  alternative^  l)ut  to  prejiare  for  ahan- 
donint;;  th(»  Advance,  as  early  in  the  s])ring  as  the  weather 
would  permit,  and  hope  to  reach  the  Danish  settlements  at 
Upernavik.  Before  the  heats  could  he  transferred  to  the 
open  water,  much  lal)our  in  preparation  nnist  he  exjiended,  and 
the  most  of  the  party  were  h(>dridden  and  unalile  to  move. 

Not  until  May  20,  18.')o,  were  they  ahl(>  to  hid  farewell 
to  the  hrifi,  and  the  retreat  was  started  under  the  most  trying 
experience's  of  sickness  and  famine.  By  June  17,  they  stood 
heside  ojien  sea,  hut  not  for  fifty-six  more  days  ilid  they  reach 
Upernavik. 

Before  the  open  water  was  reached,  a  sad  and  tragic 
accident  had  hefallen  one  of  the  ahlest  men.  "I  had 
left  the  party  on  the  floe,"  writes  Dr.  Kane,  "with  many 
ai^i^rchensions  for  th(>ir  safety,  and  the  result  ])roved  they 
were  not  without  cause.     While  crossing  a  'tide-hole'  one 


AliA.\l)ONMK.\T    OF    TIIH    '-ADVASCE 


•2-_?«» 


of  the  runiKTs  of  tlir  Unite's  slcl-c  l.n)k(>  tliroush,  and,  but 
for  tli(>  strcnjvth  and  pn-scnc"  of  mind  of  Olils.'U,  tlic  bout 
would  luiv.'  Konc  under.  lit'  saw  the  ifc  siv(>  way,  and,  by  a 
violent  exeiris.-  of  strenj-tli,  passed  a  capstan-bar  under  the 
sledge,  and  tlius  bore  the  load  till  it  was  hauled  on  to  safer  lee. 
I,,  was  a  veiv  powerful  man,  and  mi^ht  have  done  this  with- 
out injurinjs  "himself,  but  it  would  seem  his  footing  s^ive  way 
under  him,  forein-  him  to  make  a  still  more  .h^sperate  effort 
to  extri.-ate  himself.     It  cost  him  his  lif.' ;  he  died  three  days 

afterwards.  xi        •  i 

"  I  was  l)rinjvinj!i  down  CoorRe  Stephenson  from  the  sick- 
station,  and,  mv  slclf-e  bein^  heavily  laden,  I  had  just 
c-ross.>.l,  with  some  anxiety,  near  the  spot  at  which  the  accident 
o(<Mirred.  A  litth-  wav  b,>yon-l  we  met  Mr.  Ohlsen,  seated 
upon  a  lump  of  ice  an.l  v.-ry  pale.  He  pointed  to  the  camp 
about  three  miles  farther  on,  and  told  us  in  a  faint  voice,  that 
he  had  not  detained  the  party  :  he  'had  a  little  cramp  in  the 
small  of  his  back.'  but  would  soon  be  better. 

'■  I  put  him  at  once  in  Stephenson's  ]ilace,  and  drove  him 
on  to  the  Faith.  Tli(>re  h(>  was  placed  in  the  stern  sheets  of 
th(>  boat,  and  well  muffled  up  in  our  b(-st  buiTalo  robes. 
Durins  all  that  nif2;ht  h(>  was  assiduously  attended  by  Or. 
Haves  •  but  he  sank  rapidly.  His  sjnnptoms  had  from  the 
first  a  certain  obscure  but  fatal  resemblance  to  our  winters 
tetanus  and  filled  us  with  fon'l)odiugs."  _ 

Tlie  strenfvth  of  the  stricken  band  was  gradually  reaching? 
its  minimum.  The  ex(Ttion  of  bailing  the  unseaworthy  Ws 
,,(nnred  all  the  strenj^th  l.-ft  to  the  (>nfeebled  party.  They 
iHvathed  heavily,  their  limbs  sw.'II.mI,  ami  they  suffered  from 
insomnia,  so  that  .>ach  day  r(>ndered  tlu«ir  weakene.l  etTorts 
l,..s  promising.  At  this  c-risis  of  their  fortunes,  they  saw  a 
larse  seal  ttoatins  on  a  small  patch  of  ice,  and  s(>emingly 

'''''Tremblins  with  an.xiety,"  writes  Dr.  Kane,  "we  prep 


4 


i'i 


1        ! 


I 


230 


THE    a  RE  AT    WHITE    NOHTn 


\>Vl 


I     ii 


to  cniwl  down  ui)oii  him.  Peterson,  with  a  largo  EngHsh 
rifle,  was  stationed  in  the  how,  and  stoekinj^s  wercr  drawn 
over  the  oars  as  nnjfHers.  As  we  neared  the  animal,  our  excite- 
ment beeame  so  intense  that  the  men  eould  liardly  keep  stroke. 
He  was  not  asleej) ;  for  he  reared  liis  head  when  we  were 
almost  within  rifle-shot  ;  and  to  this  day  I  ean  remember  the 
hard,  careworn,  almost  despairing  ex])ression  of  the  men's 
thin  faces  as  they  .saw  him  move  ;  their  thin  lives  depended 
on  his  ca])ture.  I  deprcs.sed  my  hand  nervou.sly,  as  a  signal 
for  Petersen  to  fire.  Mcdary  hung  upon  his  oar,  and  the 
boat  seemed  to  me  within  certain  range.  Looking  at  Peter- 
sen, I  saw  that  the  jioor  fellow  was  paralysed  by  his  anxiety, 
trying  vainly  to  obtain  a  rest  for  his  gim  against  the  cut- 
water of  the  boat.  The  seal  ro.se  on  his  fore  fiii)[)er,  gazed 
at  us  for  a  moment  with  frightened  curiosity,  and  coiled  him- 
.self  for  a  i)lunge.  At  that  instant,  simultaneously  with  the 
crack  of  our  rifle,  he  relaxetl  his  long  length  on  the  ice,  and, 
at  the  very  brink  of  the  water,  his  head  fell  helpless  to  on(>  side. 
I  would  have  ordered  another  shot,  Init  no  discipline  could 
have  ci)ntrolle(l  the  men.  With  a  wild  y(>ll,  each  vociferating 
according  to  his  own  imjiulse,  they  urged  their  boats  ujionthe 
floes.  A  crowil  of  hands  seized  the  s(>al,  and  bore  him  up  to 
safer  ice.  The  m(>n  s(>emed  half  crazy.  I  had  not  realized 
liow  nuu-h  we  were  reduced  by  absolute^  famine.  They  ran 
ov(T  th(>  floe,  crying  and  laughing,  and  l)ran(Ushing  their 
knives.  It  was  not  five  minutes  before  every  man  was  suck- 
ing his  bloody  fingers,  or  mouthing  long  strips  of  raw  blubber. 
Not  an  oui.l'c  of  this  seal  was  lost." 

A  few  (lays  later  the  familiar  cadence  of  a  "halloo"  fell 
upon  the  ears. 

''Listen,  Petersen!  oars,  men!"  "^Miat  is  it?"  — and 
he  listened  quietly  at  first  and  then,  trembhng  said,  in  a  half 
whisper,  "Danne  markers  !" 

"I  remember  this,"^  writes  Kane,  "the  first  tone  of  Chris- 


I,:' 


I 


■    i 

1^ 

'    f. 

'? 


i- 1 


II 


»  * 

(.1  - 

II  J 

..  ■• 

'J 


'H- 


ABAMXtyMK'^'l'    ^^Z*'    """^ 


AhVASCf: 


231 


' 


tian  voice  ulii.h  had  sh'H.mI  our  n-turn  to  the  world.     How 
we  all  stood  up  and  l).-rrd  into  tlic  distant  nooks;   an.l  liow 
th,.  n-v  .-am.'  to  us  a>;ain,  just  as,  havinfr  s.rn  notlanji.  w.- 
were  doul.tinji  whrtl.cr  the  whole  was  not   a  .Ircani  ;    and 
,l„.n  iM.w.  with  lon^  sweeps,  the  white  ash  eraekin^  under  the 
.nrin-.-  of  the  rowers,  we  >tood  tor  the  .-ai.e  that   the  soun.l 
n,o,-.vd.'.l   from,  and  how  nervously  we  seu.n.ed  the  firecu 
spots  whi.-h  our  (xperienee.  j^rown  now  into  uistuiet,  tol.    us 
would  he  the  likelv  eamiMu.ii  pound  of  waytarer.     By-and-hy 
—  for  we  must    have  been  i)ullintf  a  >i..od  hall   hour  — the 
.in-de  mast  of  a  small  shaUop  showed  itself;    and  Petersen, 
who  luid  l.e<'n  verv  (luiet  and  jirave.  hur.t  out  „,to  an  meo- 
h.^rent  fit  of  ervin-.  only  relieved  by  l.rok<"n  exelamatDUs  ot 
niin-ded  Danish  and  Kn-lish.     '  'Tis  the  Upernavik  oil-boat  . 
the  Fniulein  Flaiseher  !    Tarlie  Mossyn.  the  assistant  cooper, 
must  iH-  on  his  road  to  Kin.tiatok  for  blubber.     The  Mnnane 
(the  one  animal  ship)  has  come,  and  Carhe  Mossyn—    am 
here  he  did  it  all  over  a«?ain.  p;ulpin,ir  ilowu  his  words  and 
wrinjfini;;  his  hands." 

Another  halt .  a  niiiht's  nvst,  and  the  settlem.'nt  was  reached, 
where  a  -enerous  welcome  awaited  the  weary  exi)Ion>rs. 

"For  eifihtv-four  ihv<'  says  Kane,  '"we  had  lived  in  the 
open  air  Our  habits  were  hard  and  weather-worn.  We 
could  not  remain  within  th..  four  walls  of  a  hous.^  without  a 
(li<tr(-sin-  s.-nsc  of  sutT..cation.  But  we  drank  <'otfee  that 
ni-dit  b.>foiv  nianv  a  hosintablr  threslioM,  and  listened  afiain 
ami  ajvuin  to  the  hymn  of  welcome,  which,  sun^  by  many 
voices,  fireeted  i)ur  deliverance." 

The  Danish  vessel  was  not  ready  for  her  honvward  journey 
till  the  4th  of  September.  <  )n  the  (ith,  Dr.  Kane  ami  his  party 
left  Tpernavik,  in  the  Mnrlam;  whose  captain  ha<l  promi-e<l 
t„  convevthem  to  the  Stu'tlaml  Islamls  ;  on  the  11th  they 
touched  at  Codhaven.  the  inspectorate  of  North  (;r<>enlan(l, 
and  later  at  Disco,  where  the  Marhinc  remained  a  few  ilays. 


!  I 


I 


fl  / 


i 


f 


il 


N:J 


»i  - 

1.  • 
1  J 


2:'.!' 


77//;    CUE  AT     IVIIITH    S  OUT  1 1 


As  ciirly  us  Fchruary  3,  IS.'m,  ;i  resolution  liad  passed 
Conjiress  autlioii/iiiK  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to  (les])atch 
a  suital)h'  steamer  ami  tender  for  the  relief  of  Dr.  Kane.  The 
liilciisc  and  Ariiir  were  aecordinj^ly  ('(luipped  and  jxit  in 
command  of  Lieutenant  Ilartstein,  accompanied  hy  a  brother 
of  Dr.  Kane.  Hy  .July  .'),  tlie  relief  expedition  had  reached 
Lievely,  Isle  of  Disco,  Greenland,  and  from  this  point  Lieu- 
tenant Ilartstein  says  in  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Xavy  : 
"To  avoid  furtlier  risk  of  human  life,  in  a  search  so  extremely 
hazardous,  I  would  sufmest  the  im|)ropriety  of  making  any 
cfTorts  to  relieve  us  if  we  should  not  return  ;  feeliiifr  confident 
that  we  shall  lie  al)le  to  accomplish  all  necessary  for  our  own 
release,  under  th(>  most  extraordinary  circumstances." 

Ilaviiiff  forced  a  passage  through  the  clo.^ely  jjacked  ic(»  in- 
to the  north  water,  they  proceeded  to  examine  the  coast  from 
Cape  York  to  Wolstenholme  Island,  also  ('ai)e  Alexander 
and  Sutherland   Island. 

A  few  stones  heaped  together  near  Pcjint  I'ellam  fj;:ivt' 
assurance  of  Kane's  having;  been  there,  but  no  other  clew 
was  secured.  Takinj?  a  retrograde  comse,  they  examined 
f'ajie  Ilatherton  and  Littl(>ton  Island,  finally  reachin<!;  a 
point  some  fifteen  miles  northwest  of  ('ai)e  .\lexander.  Here 
they  were  suri)rised  to  fall  in  with  some  l'>kimos,  in  who.sc; 
l)v).-session  were  found  certain  articles  known  to  have  be- 
lons<  '  to  Dr.  Kane.  After  diligent  inquiries,  tliey  learned 
of  tlie  altandonment  of  tlie  ship  and  the  retreat  to  the  south 
of  Dr.  Kane's  jiarty. 

After  .some  further  reconnoitring  in  the  hope  of  finding  the 
party  should  they  be  in  the  vicinity,  Lieutenant  Ilartstein 
decided  to  make  for  Uijernavik.  A  furious  gale  drove  them 
out  of  their  cour.se  adrift  in  the  ice  i>ac.k. 

'■.\fter  this  gale,"  writes  Dr.  Kane's  brother,  "we  had  little 
or  no  more  ti-()ul)l(>s  with  the  ice:  one  or  two  trifling  de- 
tentions of  a  few  days  brought  us  to  open  water.     We  had 


ItKTHF.AT    AND    I!  Est  IE 


2:53 


(Irift.-a  so  fur  to  the  south  that   Licvely  was  nnirrr  than 
rpcinavik,   and  Captain   Hartstcin   dftcrmincd   to  |)Ut    in 
tluT.'.     Wi'  had  a  heavy  Kale  the  ni^ht  after  we  left  the  ice  ; 
but  so  Klad  wen-  we  all  to  K«'t  I'li'i^r  of  it,  that  I  heanl  no 
e()ini>laints  about  rouRh  weather.      It  cleared    away  beau- 
tifully towards  morning,  and  we  were  all  on  the  deck,  ad- 
miring the  clear  water,  a!id  the  fantastic  shapes  of  th(>  water- 
washed  icel)er>rs.     All  hands  were  in  IiIkIi  spirits ;    the  nalo 
had  blown  in  the  rij^ht  direction,  and  in  a  few  hours  we  should 
be  in    Lievely.     The  rocks  of   its   land-locked   harbor  were 
already  in  sisht.     We  v/ere  tliscussinj;  our  news  by  anticipa- 
tion, when  the  man  in  the  crow's  nest  cried  out:    'A  l)riK 
in  th(>  harbor!'  and  the  next  minute,  before  we  had  time  to 
congratulate  each   other  on  the  chance  of  sendinf?  h'tters 
home,  that   she   had   hoisted  American   colors  —  a  delicate 
compliment,  we  thought,  on  the  part  of  our  friends,  the  Danes. 
I  believe  our  cai)taiu  was  about  to  return  it,  when  to  our 
surpris(>,  she  hoisted  another  flag,  the  veritable  one  which 
had  j^one  out  with  the  Advance,  bearing  th<         ae  of  Mr. 
Hem-y  Grinnell.     At  the  same  moment,  two  Ik     s  were  seen 
rounding   the   point,    and   pulling   towards   us.     Did   they 
contain  our  lost  friends?     Yes,  the  sailors  had  settled  that. 
•Those  are  YanktM-s,  sir  ;   no  Danes  ever  featiiered  their  oars 

that  way.' 

"For  those  who  had  friends  among  the  missing  party,  the 
few  minutes  that  followed  were  of  bitter  anxiety  ;  for  the  men 
in  the  boats  w.>re  long-bearded  and  weather-beaten;  they 
had  strange  wild  costumes;  there  was  no  possibility  of 
recognition." 

In  Dr.  Kane's  own  wonls,  let  us  conclude  the  chapter  :  — 

"Presently  we  were  alongside.     An  officer  whom  I  shall 

ever   remembci    as  a  cherished   friend,    Captain    Hart  stein, 

hailed  a  little  man  in  a  ragged  flannel  shirt.     'Is  this  Dr. 

Kane?'  ami  with  the  -Yes!'  tliat  followed,  the  rigging  was 


I 


I 


f; 


^U 


i  ."  1 

1 

I   • 


f.  '.. 

3  1. 


2:U 


THE    CHEAT    WHITE    NORTH 


nianiu'(l  by  our  cimntryincn,  and  cheers  wclcomcil  us  hack 
to  the  social  world  of  love  which  they  represented." 

Dr.  Kane  and  his  party  reached  New  York,  October  11, 
iS.V),  and  receive(l  an  entlnisiastic  welcome,  after  an  absence 
of  tliirty  months.  Honours  of  the  most  llatterin^  kind 
awaited  him  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  but  his  health 
was  ((iinpletely  bnjken  l)y  the  trials  of  his  wonderful  journey. 
On  l"el)ruary  l(i,  IS.")?,  he  died  at  Havana,  in  the  thirty- 
.seventh  year  of  his  a^e. 


♦I  - 
II  -J 


r    ^' 


N.i 


it 

f  V 


H 


'I'knny' 


>N    MiiMMrST  ' 


Tlio  t;ill  .-Imft,  of  p:ili'  t;n'<ii  m;iiiit.',  was  di-covclid  hy 
Dr.  Kaiif 


V 


I     .1 


I*  Ml  •", 
3  U 
*  9 


4>     ' 


.     J 


f  V 
.. -" 
•I  * 


^   , 


•i   ■■ 


CHAPTER  XII 

Dr.  Hayes's  expedition.     Wiiit(T  quarters  at  Port  Poiilke.  —  Creen- 
land'eoiist.— Deathof  Sunntas.^Dr.  Hayes's  juiiniey.-Attcinpt 

to  cross  Smith  .Souiul.  —  Hayes's  farthest.  —  "  Open  Polar  Sea. 
—  Homeward  bound. 

I\  1800,  Dr.  Iltvyos,  who  had  accompanied  the  second 
Griuuell  e.\pe(Utioii  and  rendenvl  nuich  vahuil)h'  service  to 
Dr.  Kane  and  his  party,  once  more  sailed  from  America  for 
the  purpose  of  completins  tlie  survey  of  the  north  coasts  of 
Greenland  and  Oinnell  Land  and  to  make  such  (>.\i)l()rations  as 
ho  mi-rht  find  practicable  in  the  direction  of  the  North  Pole. 
"My  proposed  l)ase  of  operations,"  writes  Dr.  Hayes, 
"wasGrinnellLand,  which  I  had  diseovered  on  my  fonner 
voyasc,  and  had  personally  traced  beyond  latitude  S0^  far 
enough  to  satisfy  that  it  was  availat)le  for  my  design." 

On  the  mornins  of  July  8,  18()0,  the  Vniled  States  was  fairly 
on  her  way,  and.  by  July  30,  Dr.  Hayes  had  the  satisfaction 
of  beins  once  more  within  the  Arctic  Circle. 

"We  had  some  rou^h  handlins  in  Davis'  Strait,"  he  writes. 
"Once  I  thought  we  had  surely  come  in^loriously  to  ^nof. 
We  were  runnins  before  the  wind  aiid  fijihtius  a  wretched 
cross-sea  under  r(>efed  fore  ami  mainsail  and  jil),  when  the 
fore-rail  was  carried  away  ;  — down  came  everytliing  to  the 
deck  ;  and  there  was  l(>ft  not  a  stitch  of  canvas  on  tlie  schooner 
but  the  lumbering  mainsail.  It  was  a  miracle  that  we  did 
not  l)roach  to  and  go  to  tht>  bottom.  Xotliing  saved  us  but 
a  steady  hand  at  the  helm." 

After  several  narrow  escapes  in  tlie  ice  field,  the  Undcd 
States  was  at  length  compelled  to  take  up  her  winter  ciuarters 

2.'}.') 


ij 


i! 


\l ) 


I 


MM 


n 


>>  ' 


.'"  I 


( ' 


.1 


1.  .^ 


3  U 


M    " 


2;'.0 


r//A-  './.AMr  niiiTE  sonrn 


at  Port   Foulk*-,  oil  the  (iroonlaml  coast,  :>l.oiit  twenty  milos 
t„  till'  south  of  UcnssckuT  harbour.     Au  ul.uiulaut  conunis- 
surhit,  an.plv  supphi-.l  l.y  fivsh  nu-at,  k.  I't   up  the  gcurra 
hc-ilth  of  tlic  party  .hwiug  the  long  night,  and  tlicy  cs.-apecl 
scurvy,  whirh  had  prowd  s.)  fatal  to  Dr.  Kane's  c-rew. 

\  oroat  catastroplie  was  the  .leatli  l.y  freezni-  i>t  Sonnta-, 
the  r^troi.onier,  who  ha.l  been  a  valuable  member  of  Dr. 
Kane's  expedition,  and  a  nuu'h-beloved  friend  of  Dr.  Hayes. 
Aecompanied  by  Hans  Hendrik,  he  had  started  on  a  sledge 
journey  to  the  Etah  Eskimo.     On  February  I,  Dr.  Hayes 

"Hans  has  given  me  the  story  of  his  j(>m-ney,  and  T  sit 
d.-vu  to  ri'cord  it  with  v-ry  painful  (nmjtions.     The  travellers 
rounde.1  Cape  Alexa.iuer  without  difficulty,  finding  th<>  ice 
solid  ;    they  did  not  halt  until  they  lia.l  reaeluul  Sutherland  . 
Island,  wh(>re  thev  l)uilt  a  snow  hut  and  rested  for  a  few  hours. 
(•,)ntinviing  tluMice  down  the  coast,  they  sought  the  Es(iunnaux 
at  Sorfalik  without  su.ress.     Tlu'  native  hut  at  that  place 
bein-  in  ruins,  tlu>v  made  for  th.ir  shelter  another  hou<e  of 
snow  ;   an<l,  after  being  well  reste.l,  they  set  out  direct.y  for 
Xorthuml>erland  Island,  having  concluded  that  it  was  useless 
to  seek  longer  for  natives  on  the  north  sid(^  of  the  Sound. 
They  liad  proceeded  on  their  course  about  four  or  five  miles 
as  nearly  as  1  can  ju.lge  from  Hans'  description,  when  Sonn- 
ta.--  growing  a  little  chilled,  sprang  otY  th(>  sledge  and  ran  ahead 
of  The  dogs  to  warm  himself  with  tlu^  exercis(>.     The  tanghng 
of  a  trace  obliging  Hans  to  bait  the  team  for  a  few  minutes, 
he  fell  some   distance  behind,  and  was  hurrying  to  catch 
up,  when  he  suddenly  observed  Sonntag  sinking.     He  had 
come  upon  the  tliin  ice,  covering  a  recently  oixMi  tide-crack, 
un<l,  probably  not  observing  his  footing,  he  stepp<'>l  "pon  it 
unawares.     Hans  hastened  to  his  rescue,  and  ai.le.l  hnn  out 
of  the  watcT,  and  thcni  turned  back  for  the  shelter  which  th(>y 
had  recently  abandoned.     A  light  wind  was  blowing  at  the 


DIl.    haves' :S  EXPEDITION 


2:JT 


time  from  the  northeast,  and  this,  according  to  Hans,  causetl 
Sonntag  to  seek  the  hut  uithout  stopping  to  change  his  wet 
clothing.     At  first  he  ran  beside  the  sledge,  and  thus  guarded 
against  danger;    but  after  a  while  he  rode,  and  when  they 
halted  at  Sorfalik,  Hans  discovered  that  his  companion  was 
stiff  and  speecldess.     Assisting  him   into  the  h;      with   all 
I)Ossil)le  (h'spatch,  Hans  states  that  he  removed  the  wet  and 
frozen  clothing,  and  placed  Sonntag  in  the  sle(>ping-bag.     He 
next  gave  him  some  brandy  which,  lu;  found  in  a  flask  on  the 
sledge;    and,  having  tightly  closed  the  hut,  lu-  lighted  the 
alcohol  lami),  for  the  double  purpose  of  (>l(>vating  the  tempera- 
ture and  making  some  coffee  ;    but  all  of  his  efforts  w(>ro 
unavailing,  and,  after  remaining  for  nearly  a  day  unconscious, 
Sonntag  dii>d.     He  did  not  speak  after  reaching  the  hut,  aiul 
l(>ft  no  message  of  any  kind.     After  closing  up  the  mouth  of 
the  hut,  so  that  the  l)ody  might  not  be  disturbed  by  Ix'ars 
or  foxes,  Hans  again  set  out  southward,  and  reachetl  Nor- 
thumberland Island  without  inconvenience." 

Early  in  April,  1801,  Dr.  Hayes  left  the  ship  "to  plunge 
into  the  wilderness."  Having  previously  ascertained  that  an 
advance  along  the  Greenland  shore  ^as  utterly  impossible, 
he  resolved  to  cross  th(^  sound,  and  to  try  his  fortunes  along 
the  coast  of  Orinnell  Land. 

"By  winding  to  the  right  and  left,"  he  writes,  "and  by 
occasit)nally  retracing  our  steps,  we  managed  to  get  over  the 
first  f(>w  miles  without  much  embarrassment,  but  further  on 
the  track  was  rough,  past  description.  I  can  compare  it  to 
nothing  but  a  promiscuous  accumulation  of  rocks  piled  up 
ov(>r  a  vast  plain  in  great  heaps  and  endless  ridges.  The 
interstices  betw(>en  these  closely  accumulated  ice-masses  are 
filled  up  to  some  (>xteut  with  drifted  snow." 

It  is  not  surprising  that  after  such  difficult  travel,  at  the  v\u\ 
of  twenty-five  days  they  had  not  yet  reached  halfway  across 
the  sound. 


I 


\.i 


•    ^f   '"1 


ti 


3  U 

♦I  - 

4'     i 

«i    * 

li     J 

ti    '« 

.'    " 

j  s:  a 


!>    ' 


l':]8 


r//A'  GREAT   WHITE  yOUTU 


"My  party  arc  in  a  very  sorry  condition, "  writes  Dr. 
Hayes.  "( )n('  oi'  tlic  men  lias  sprained  lii.s  hack  from  liftinji; ; 
another  has  sjjrained  his  anlvle ;  anotlier  lias  gastritis;  an- 
otlier  a  frosted  toe  ;  antl  all  are  thoroughly  overwhelmed 
with  fatigue.     Tlie  men  do  not  stand  it  as  well  as  the  dogs." 

And  the  ne.\'  day,  April  2(>,  he  writes  :  — 

''I  feel  to-night  that  I  am  getting  rai)i(lly  to  the  end  of  my 
rope.  I'lach  day  strengthens  the  ci  nvietion,  not  only  that 
we  ean  never  reach  ( Iriunell  Land,  with  provisions  for  a 
journey  up  the  coast  to  the  Polar  Sea,  but  that  it  cannot  bi; 
done  at  all.  I  have  talked  to  the  ofR  ers,  and  they  are  all  of 
this  opinion.  They  say  the  thing  is  hopeless.  Dodge  put  it 
thus  :  'You.  might  as  well  try  to  cross  the  city  of  New  York 
over  the  house-t(j])s.' " 

Though  disliearteniMl,  their  bold  leader  was  not  discouraged 
and,  sending  the  main  party  t)ack  to  the  sclu)oner,  he  continueil 
to  plunge  into  the  hummocl.s.     After  foiU'teen  days  of  almost 
supe''human  exertion,  he  reached  the  coast,  May  11,  when  he 
writes  :  — 

■"In  cam])  at  last,  close  under  the  land;  and  as  happy 
as  men  can  be  who  have  achieved  success  and  await  supper. 
As  W(>  rounded  to  in  a  convenient  ]>lace  for  our  camp, 
McDonald  lookecl  u])  at  the  tall  Cape,  which  rose  above  our 
heads  ;  and,  as  he  turned  away  to  g(^t  our  furnace  to  jirepare 
a  nnich-needed  meal,  he  was  heard  t<»  grumble  in  a  serio- 
comic tone  :  'Well,  I  wonder  if  that  is  land,  or  only  ''('ape 
Fly-away"  after  all?"'" 

I5ut  though  land  was  reach^nl,  tlie  trials  of  the  journey 
along  the  coast  were  none  tlie  less  harassing.  With  untiring 
energy,  Dr.  Hayes  pushed  on  until  the  ISth  of  ]\Iay,  when 
further  ])rogress  became  imjxissiljle,  owing  to  a  deep  bay, 
mottled  with  a  white  sheet  and  dark  patches,  these  latter 
being  either  soft  decaying  ice  or  places  where  the  ice  had 
wholly  <disappeare<l. 


M 


Dli.    nAVKS's   KXl'KDiriON 


239 


"And  now,"  writes  Dr.  Huycs,  "my  joiirnoy  was  ondwl,  and 
I  had  nuthins  to  do  but  make  my  way  back  to  I'tjrt  Konlke. 
The  advaneinji;  season,  tlie  rapidity  with  which  the  thaw 
was  taking  place,  the  certainty  tliat  the  ojjcn  water  was  eating 
into  Smith  Sound  as  well  as  through  Baflin  Bay  from  the 
south,  as  through  Kennedy  Channel  from  the  north,  thus 
endangering  my  return  across  to  the  (Ireenland  shore,  warned 
me  that  1  hatl  lingered  long  enough. 

"It  now  only  remahied  for  us  to  plant  our  flag  in  token  of 
our  discovery,  and  to  deposit  a  record  proof  of  our  presence. 
The  flags  were  tied  to  the  whip-lash,  and  suspended  between 
two  tall  rocks,  and  whil(>  we  were  l)uilding  a  cairn,  they  were 
allowed  to  flutter  in  the  l)reeze  ;  then,  tearing  a  leaf  from  my 
note-book,  I  wrote  on  it  as  follows  :  — 

"'This  point,  the  most  northern  land  that  has  ever  been 

reached,  was  visited  Ity  the  undersigned,  May  ISth,  lUtli,  18(»1, 

accompanied    by   (leorge   T.    Knorr,    travelling   dog-sledge. 

We  arrived  h(>re  ai'ter  a  toilsome  march  of  forty-six  days  from 

my  winter  harbor  near  ("ape  Alexander,  at  the  mouth  of 

Smith  Sound.     My  ol)servations  place  us  in  latitude 81°  35', 

longitude  70°  oO'  W.     Our  furtluT  progress  was  stopped  by 

rotten  ice  and  cracks.      Keimedy  Channel  appears  to  expand 

into  the  Polar  Basin;  and,  satisfied  that  it   is  navigable  at 

least  durhig  the  mouths  of  .luly,  August,  and  September,  I  go 

hence  to    my  winter    harbor,  to   make    another  trial  to  get 

through  Smith  Sound  with  my  vessel,  after  the  ice  breaks  up 

this  summer. 

"  '  I.  1.  Hayes. 

"'May  19,  1801.'" 

"I  quit  the  i>lace  with  reluctance,"  he  writes.  "It  pos- 
sessed a  fascination  for  me,  and  it  was  with  no  ordinary  sen- 
sations that  I  contemplated  my  situation,  with  one  solitary 
companion,  in  that  hitherto  untrodden  desert;  while  my 
nearness  to  the  earth's  axis,  the  consciousness  of  standing 


Mf 


■2[0 


THE  (IREAT   WHITE  SOliril 


I'l 


upon  land  beyond  the  limits  of  previous  observations,  the 
refleetions  wliicii  erossed  my  mind  respeetinj;;  the  vast  ueean 
which  lay  sjjreail  out  before  me,  the  thouji;ht  that  these  iee- 
jrirdled  waters  uhere  dwell  human  beinj^s  of  an  unknown  rare, 
were  eircumstam-es  calculated  to  invest  the  very    air  with 
mystery,  to  dec  pen  the  curiosity,  and  to  strengthen  the  reso- 
lution to  ])ersevere  in  my  determination  to  sail  ui)on  this  sea 
and   to  e.\|)lore  its  furthest   limits;   and   as   I   recalled  the 
strufj;gl<  -  which  had  l)een  made  to  reach  this  sea,  —  throuj^h 
the  ice  and  across  the  ice,  —  by  {fenerations  of  brave  men,  it 
seemed  as  if  th(>  spirits  of  these  OKI  Worthies  came  to  encour- 
H'ry  me.  as  their  e\i)erienco  had  already  guided  me  ;  and  I  felt 
that   1  had  within  my  {iirasj)  'the  {!;reat  and  notable  thinj^' 
which  had  insi)ired  tlie  zeal  of  sturdy  Frobisher,  an<l  that    I 
had   acliieveil  the   hope  of   matchless   Parry."     The   nmch- 
discussed  "opc^n  pt)lar  sea,"  in  which  Dr.  Hayes  had  implicit 
faith,  has  since  been  found  to  be  only  the  south  half  of  Ken- 
ni'dy  Chaimel.  which  freezes  late  and  ojmmis  early,  owing  to  the 
very  high  tides,  that  sometimes  rise  tliirty  fe(>t.     Dr.  Hayes 
reached  th(>  schooner,  .lune  '.\,  after  an  absence  of  two  months, 
in  which  he  travelled  not  less  than  b'5U()  miles,     .\fter  careful 
examination  of  his  shii),  I^f-  Hayes  found  slie  had  greatly 
suffered  from  her  i>xp(>rience  in  the  ice,  and  that,  for  the  safety 
of  his  party,  great  care  had  to  be  exercised  in  her  navi- 
gation. 

"By  dint  of  much  earnest  exertion,"  he  writes,  "and  the 
use  of  bolts  and  spikes,  —  by  replacing  th(>  torn  cut-water, 
car(>ful  calking,  and  renewal  of  the  iron  t)lates,  —  it  seemed 
pr{)bal)le  that  th(>  schooner  wouhl  l)e  sea-worthy  ;  but  I  was 
forced  to  agree  with  my  sailing  master,  that  to  strike  the  ice 
again  was  sure  to  sink  lier." 

Dr.  Hayes  awaited  with  .some  anxiety  the  brc^aking  up  of 
the  ice,  and  the  liberation  of  the  schooner.  Not  until  July 
14,  iSGl.did  the  Vnikd  States  glide  out  to  sea  under  full  sail, 


DR.    tlAVKs's    t:.\l'EhlTl()X 


241 


and  by  August  10  she  was  in  latitu(l(>  74°  W,  luiiKitude  (iO". 
By  the  12th  thi-y  nuide  land  which  |)n)vcd  to  Ix'  Huisc's 
Head,  and  tliree  days  later  found  the  schooner  at  anchor  in 
Upernavik  harbour. 

"While  the  chain  was  yet  elinkiuK  in  the  hawse-hole," 
writes  Dr.  Hayes,  "an  okl  Dane,  dressed  in  seal-skins,  and 
possessing  a  small  stock  of  English  and  a  large  s  ock  of  articles 
to  trade,  pulletl  off  to  us  with  an  Eskimo  cnw,  and  with 
little  ceremony,  clambered  over  the  gangway.  Knorr  met 
him,  ami,  without  any  ceremony  at  all,  demanded  the  news. 
"  'Oh  !  dere's  plenty  news  !' 
"  'Out  with  it,  man  !     What  is  it  ?' 

'"Oh!  de  Sout  States  di  v  go  agin  de  Xort'  States,  and 
dere's  plenty  fight ! ' 

"I  heard  the  answer,  and  wondering  what  strange  compli- 
cation of  European  politics  had  kindled  another  Continental 
war,  called  this  Polar  Ennnieus  to  the  (juarter  deck.  Had 
he  any  news  from  America  ? 

"'Oh!  'tis  'merica  me  speak!  De  Sout'  States,  you  see? 
and  dere's  plenty  fight ! ' 

"Yes,  I  did  see!  but  I  <lid  not  believe  that  he  told  the 
truth,  and  awaited  letters  whicli  I  knew  nuist  have  come  out 
with  the  Danish  vess(>l,  and  which  were  immediately  sent  for 
to  the  Government  House." 

The  comUtion  of  the  schoon(>r  necessitated  putting  in  at 
Halifax  for  repairs,  and,  four  days  after  leaving,  they  made 
the  Boston  Lights.  "We  jncked  up  a  pilot,"  wnt(>s  Dr. 
Hayes,  "out  of  the  thickest  fog  that  I  have  ever  seen  south 
of  the  Arctic  C'ircl(>,  and  with  a  light  wind  stood  into  harbor. 
As  the  night  wore  on  the  wind  fell  away  almost  to  calm  ; 
the  fog  thickened  more  and  more,  if  that  wen>  possible,  as  we 


sagged  along  over 


\\\v  dead  waters  toward  th(>  anchorage 


The  night  was  fill(>(l  with  an  oppr(>: 


>ive  gloom.     The  lights 


i 


hanging  at  tlie  mast-heads  of  the  vessel.-,  which  we  iwssed  had 


ih 


1 H' 

I 
f 


) 


.)|.) 


T///-;  aUEAT   WHITE  Noinu 


the  ghastly  pliiiiiiKT  of  tapors  burning  in  a  charnol-hoiise. 
We  saw  no  vessel  moving  t)ut  our  own,  and  even  tliose  which 
hiy  at  anchor  seemed  Hke  i)liantom  ships  floating  in  the  murky 
air.  I  never  saw  the  ship's  company  so  lifeless,  or  so  de- 
j)ressed,  even  in  times  of  real  danger." 

"I  landed  on  Long  Wharf,"  he  continues,  "and  found  my 
way  into  State  Street.  Two  or  three  figures  were  moving 
through  tlie  thick  vapors,  and  their  solenni  foot-fall  broke 
the  worse  than  Arctic  stillness.  I  reached  Washington  Street, 
and  walked  anxiously  westward.  A  newsboy  passed  me.  I 
seized  a  paper,  and  the  first  thing  which  caught  n\\  eye  was 
the  account  of  the  Hall's  BlufT  battle,  in  which  had  fallen  many 
of  the  noblest  sons  of  Boston  ;  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  very  air 
had  shrouded  itself  in  mourning  for  them,  ai\d  that  the  heavens 
wept  tears  for  the  city's  slain.  I  was  wending  ni}'  way  to 
the  house  of  a  friend,  but  I  thought  it  likely  that  he  was  not 
there.  I  felt  like  i.  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  and  yet  every 
object  which  I  passed  was  familiar.  Friends,  country, 
everything  seemed  swallowed  up  in  some  vast  calamity,  and, 
doubtful  and  irresolute,  I  turned  back  sad  and  dejected,  and 
found  my  way  on  board  again  through  the  dull,  dul'  fog." 

Dr.  Hayes  mad(>  another  journey  beyond  the  Arctic  Circle 
in  18G9,  in  the  Panther,  as  the  guest  of  the  artist  Bradford. 
Over  a  thousand  miles  of  the  (Ireenland  coast  was  visited, 
terminating  a  good  waj"  beyond  the  last  outj^ost  of  civilization 
on  tlu  globe,  in  the  midst  of  the  much-dreaded  "ice-pack" 
of  Melville  Bay. 


Li_»  .(,' 


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1" 


i.fl 


'.i 


1 


CIIAPTEIl  XIU 

Charles  Francis  Ilall.  —  Karly  life.  —  Intcrost  in  fate  of  Sir  John 
Franklin.-  First  journey  to  (Ireenland.  —  Diseovery  of  Fro- 
hislicr  relies.  -  Fx])erienees  and  stiuly  of  the  I'.skinios.  — Second 
journey.  — Delays  and  disappointments,  —  Sled^inn  trips.  -  King 
William's  Land  at  last.  —  Franklin  relies.  —  l{eturn  of  Hall  to 
I'nited  States.  —  I'oltiris  expedition.  —  Reaches  h\p,\\  northinj;;. — 
Hall's  sledK(f  journey.  —  lieturn  and  death.  — /Vnr/.s  winters. 
No  escape.  —  Polnrift  is  wreckecl.  —  Part  of  crew  adrift  on  the 
ice-floe.  -  Remainder  builcl  winter  hut.  —  linal  rescue  and  return 
to  United  States. 

The  i)ersonality  of  Charles  Francis  Hall  is  singularly 
intorestins-  Horn  \\\  Ruchostor,  New  Ilanipshire,  in  1S21, 
he  received  a  common  school  education  and  pursued  the  voca- 
tion of  hiack.smith,  journalist,  stationer,  and  enjiraver. 

In  18")0,  while  living  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  he  became  deeply 
interested  in  the  fate  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  and  for  over  nine 
years  made  a  thorough  study  of  Arctic  history  and,  especially, 
of  the  Franklin  search  exjieditions.  Unconvinced  by  the 
admirable  report  of  Ca;)tain  ^UClintock  in  ISoO  of  the  death 
of  Franklin  and  the  fate  of  his  companions.  Hall  maintained 
the  opinion  that  survivors  of  the  unfortunate  expedition  must 
still  be  living  among  the  Eskimos,  and  could  be  found. 
By  the  aid  of  public  subscrii)tions  and  the  liberal  patronage 
of  Mr.  Henry  Criimell,  Hall  undertook  a  journey,  May  20, 
IStlO.  sailing  from  Xew  London,  on  the  whaler,  (leorge  Henry, 
commanded  by  Captain  S.  O.  Buddington. 

Forty  days  later  (7th  of  July,  IStiO),  the  (ieonir  Henry 
(Iroi)ped  anchor  at  Holsteinborg,  (ireenland.     Hall  was  un- 

243 


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successful  ill  the  main  olijcct  of  his  uudcrtukiiin  (his  proposed 
journey  to  Kiiiu  William  Land)  and  spent  tiie  l)est  i)art  of 
two  years  near  Krohisher  Hay.  where  he  ac(|uired  much  knowl- 
edirc  of  tlie  s|»eeeli.  Iiahits,  ami  life  of  the  Kskiiiios,  and  dis- 
covered a  (juantitN  of  relics  left  hy  Fruliisher's  exjx-dition  of 
1.*.77  loTS. 

Of  the  first  traditionary  history  gained  from  the  Ivskiinos 
relative  to  Krohisher's  expedition,  Hall  says  in  notes  under 
date  of  April  !t,  IStij  : 

"Aniony;  the  traditions  handed  down  from  one  HJ'iH-ration 
to  another,  there  i>  this  :  that  many  very  many  years  aj^o, 
some  white  men  Imilt  a  ship  on  one  of  the  islands  of  Frobisher 
Hay  and  went  away. 

"I  think  I  can  see  throuuh  this  m  this  way:  Froltisher, 
in  l.")7S.  assemliled  a  larjie  part  of  his  (leet  in  what  he  called 
'Countess  of  Warwick  Sound'  (said  to  be  in  that  hay  below 
u>),  when  a  council  was  held  on  the  1st  of  August,  at  which 
it  was  iletermined  to  send  all  persons  and  thinjis  on  shore  upon 
'Countess  of  Warwick  Island'  ;  uiid  on  August  2(1  orders  were 
proclaiiiHMl.  by  somid  of  trumpet,  for  the  nuidance  of  the 
company  during  their  abode  thereon.  For  reasons  stated 
in  the  history,  the  company  did  not  tarry  hen  .uufi,  but  de- 
])arted  for  '  Mda  I Hcotjuita,'  and  thesice  to  Kiifiiaud,  how 
may  not  the  fact  of  liinl)ers.  chips,  etc.,  etc.,  havinjj  been  found 
on  one  of  the  islands  (within  a  day's  journey  oi  here)  many 
years  ajio.  pro\-e  that  the  sai<l  materials  were  of  this  Fro- 
bisher's  comi);iny,  and  that  henc(>  the  Innuit  tradition?  In  ii 
few  days  I  hope  to  be  exploring  Frobisher  Buy," 

nescribinii;  the  circumstances  of  liis  interostinji  discovery  on 
Countess  of  Warwick  Island,  Ifall  writes:  — 

"We  continued  on  around  the  island,  finding;,  e\-erv  few 
fathoms  in  our  i)ro}i;ress,  numerous  Innuit  relics.  At  ieiifjth 
we  arrived  at  a  plain  that  extended  back  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  coast.     Here  we  recognized,  at  our  risht, 


L'tlAHLEs   FliASi  IS  HALL 


'i\: 


iihout  sixty  rods  disfjiiit,  tlic  point  tu  uliicli  \\v  first  directed 
our  steps  on  rciU'liiiin  tlit-  i:inli  lanil  alter  Icmviiiu  llic  hoat. 

"I  was  scvcra!  lallioiiis  in  adxance  ol  Koo-uii-lc-arnu;, 
hiistcninu  on,  heinn  desirous  to  rrial\e  as  extended  a  seareh  as 
the  i)rief  remaining  daylinlil  woiilil  allow,  when,  lil'tinji  my 
eyes  from  the  unmnd  near  me,  I  discovered,  a  consideraMe 
distance  ahead,  an  ohject  of  an  unusual  appearance,  lint  a 
second  look  satisfied  me  that  what  I  saw  were  simply  stones 
scattered  about  and  covered  with  Mack  moss.  1  continued 
my  course,  keepinji;  as  near  the  coast  as  ])ossii)le.  I  was  now 
nearinn  the  spot  where  I  had  first  descried  the  Mack  oliject. 
It  anaiii  met  my  view;  and  my  orij-inal  thoiijiht  on  first 
.seeinjf  it  resumed  at  once  the  ascendency  in  my  mind.  I 
hastened  to  the  s])ot.  '(Jreat  <  lod  I  Thou  hast  rewanled 
me  in  my  search  !'  was  Ihe  sentiment  that  came  overwhelm- 
iiiflly  into  my  thankful  soul.  On  castinsj;  my  eyes  all  aroum', 
seeing  and  feeling  the  character  (moss-ajied,  for  .some  of  the 
pieces  I  saw  liad  jM'llicles  of  hlack  moss  on  them)  of  the  relics 
before  and  under  me,  I  felt  as  I  cannot  tell  what  my  feel- 
ings were  wliat  I  saw  before  me  was  sai-axil  of  I'robisher's 
exjx'dition  of  l.")78,  left  here  near  three  centuries  a<j;o  I  " 

A  more  thorough  search  in  the  vicinity  imdertakeu  at  a 
later  period  resulted  in  the  finding  of  flint-stone  ;  frajiinents 
of  tile,  glass,  pottery,  an  excavation  which  Hall  called  an 
aban(h)ne(l  mine,  the  ruins  of  three  stone  houses,  one  of  which 
was  twelve  feet  in  diameter,  with  palpable  evidence  of  its 
having  been  erected  on  a  foundation  of  stone  cementeil  td- 
gether  with  lime  and  sand  ;  large  jiieces  of  iron  time-eaten  ni.d 
weather-worn,  which  "the  ru.st  of  thri-e  centuries  had  firmly 
cemented  to  the  .sand  and  stones  in  wliich  it  had  lain." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  of  the  one  hundred  men  sent 
out  from  England  with  Frobisher  in  b')7S,  the  majority  wen^ 
miners  sent  for  the  ex])ress  puriiose  of  digging  for  the  rich 
or(!  of  which  Frobisher  had  carried  sjjecimens  ho'ue  on  his 


.  1 


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240 


'///;•;  UUEAT    WlllTK  youTii 


return  IVdiii  hi-  x'coiid  voya.u*',  and  which  was  supposed  to  h(> 
\eiv  vahiaMe.  The  miners  nuule  "  |)rool's,"  as  tliey  are  called, 
in  various  parts  oi  the  ic^ions  discovered  by  him.  Some  of 
tlioe  ■•pi-(M)l's""  are  douhtless  what  ( 'ai)tain  Hall  I'ouuil,  and, 
in  connect iou  with  other  circmnstances,  evidenced  the  exact 
location  oi'  Frohisher's  "Countess  of  Warwick  Mine."  Cap- 
tain Hall  presented  many  of  tli(>  relics  he  hroujiht  home  to 
the  liritish  uovernment,  through  tho  Royal  (leograpliical 
Society  of  London. 

r])oii  hi<  return  to  Xew  London  (S(>pt('mhor  l.'i  18()2),  Hall 
iiiunediately  endeavoiU'cd,  throiisi'h  lectures  and  ]iersonal 
api)eals,  to  e(|uii)  another  cxjK'dition  to  the  .\rctic.  The 
unsettled  state  of  the  nation,  i)lun,u-e(l  into  th(>  horrors  of  a 
•ireat  civil  war,  made  his  efforts  practically  futile  ;  unda.unted 
hy  the  discouraging  response,  he  nevertheless  saiknl  July  1, 
ISdl,  and  in  August  was  landed,  with  his  meagre  e(iui])ment, 
boat  and  provisions,  on  Depot  Island,  Hudson  Bay,  (iT  X., 
•)()■'  \\.  .Vdopting  the  habits  and  lif(M)f  the  Eskimos,  Hall 
spent  five  years  in  ])ursuing  his  nvsearches,  receiving  occa- 
sionally supplies  from  whalers. 

The  first  year  was  sjM'iit  in  misuccessful  efforts  to  .secure 
l]>kimo  aid.  The  winter  of  ISIi.V  lS(i(),  Hall  had  his  head- 
([uarters  at  Fort  Hope,  He])ulse  Bay,  and  in  the  spring 
reached  ( 'ajx'  Weyton,  (;S"  X.,  89°  W.  The  Eskimos  refused 
to  accompany  him  farther,  but  he  luul  the  good  fortune  to 
meet  with  natives  wlio  had  visited  the  des(>rted  ships,  and 
ha<l  s(M<n  Franklin.  Hall  secured  from  !  hesc^  I'>kiinos  con- 
siderable silver  bearing  the  crest  of  Franklin  and  other 
officers. 

In  February,  ISf)?,  H.all  visited  Igloolik,  the  wint'T  quarters 
of  Parry  in  1S22.  He  imjiroved  the  next  year  I)y  following 
up  the  west  side  of  Melvill(>  Peninsula,  com])leting  and  sur- 
veying th(^  short  gap  between  Rae's  farthest,  bSH),  and  Parry's 
fM!-!!ie^t    ii!    Fv.rv   Strait,    1S2.-),     TIsc   winter   of    1S(;S-18()0 


lC. 


('AI'TAI.y  HALL   ASI)   ESKIMOS 


247 


(ATTAIN  Hall  and  J.^^kimos 


bl 


24.S 


rilE  GREAT    WHITE   yOIiTIl 


w;is  spoilt  at  Fort  IIojx',  whoro  ho  at  last  succooded  in  socur 
mg  Eskimo  aid  for  the  final  attoinjjt  to  roach  King  William 
Laud.     Ho  started   in  Maroh,   ISti!),   in  company  with  ton 
Eskimos  and  doj>;  slodjics. 

Crossing  Rao  Pouinsula  to  Committoe  Bay  and  via  Boothia 
Isthnms,  the  jxirty  roacluHl  Jamos  Ross  Strait,  distant  some 
sixty  milos  from  King  Willitim  Land.  Hero  ho  had  difficulty 
in  ])orsnading  tho  natives  to  continue,  hut  at  Simpson  Island 
the  success  of  a  nnisk-ox  hunt  restored  their  good  humour, 
and  they  consented  to  jM-ocood.  On  tho  J2th  of  ^L^y,  18(50, 
Hall  readied  tlio  mainland  ;  his  stay  was  necessarily  very 
brief,  as  his  native  companions  could  not  bo  ))orsuadcd  to 
linger  in  such  a  desolate  country. 

ri)on  his  return  to  Rei)uls(>  Bay,  Captain  Hall,  in  a  letter  to 
]Mr.  Henry  (Iriniu'll,  datt'd  .June  20,  1860,  writes  in  part  :  — 

"Tho  result  of  my  sledge  journey  to  King  William's  Land 
may  he  summed  up  thus  :  None  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  com- 
panions over  reached  or  died  on  Montreal  Island.  It  was  late 
in  .July,  1848,  that  Crozior  and  his  jiarty  of  about  forty  or 
forty-five  i)assed  down  tho  Avost  coast  of  King  William's 
Land  in  the  vicinity  of  Cape  lierschel.  Tho  party  was  drag- 
ging two  sledges  on  tho  sea-ice,  which  was  n(>arly  in  its  last 
stage  of  dissolution  ;  on(>  a  largo  sledge  lad(ni  with  an  awning- 
covered  boat,  and  the  other  a  small  one  laden  with  provisions 
and  camp  material.  Just  before  Crozior  and  party  arrived 
at  Cape  Horschol,  they  wore  mot  by  four  families  of  nativ(  s, 
and  both  parties  wont  into  camp  near  each  otlu>r.  Two 
Eskimo  men,  who  wore  of  tho  native  party,  gave  mo  much 
sad,  btit  deo])ly  interesting,  information.  Some  of  it  stirred 
my  heart  with  sadness,  intermingled  with  rage,  for  it  was  a 
confession  that  they,  with  their  comjianions,  did  secretly  and 
hastily  abandon  (^rozior  and  his  part}  to  sufTor  and  die  for 
need  of  fresh  provisions,  when  in  truth  it  was  in  tho  power 
of  the  natives  to  save  every  man  alive.     The  next  trace  of 


HALL  S  SECOND  JOl'liyEV 


24*J 


Crozier  and  his  party  is  to  bo  fountl  in  the  skeleton  which 
M'CHntock  discovered  a  Httle  below,  to  the  southward  and 
eastwa  I  of  Cape  Herschel.  This  was  never  found  by  the 
natives.  The  next  trace  is  a  camping  place  on  the  sea-shore 
of  King  William's  Land,  about  three  miles  eastward  of 
Pfeffer  River,  where  two  men  died  ami  received  Christian  (?) 
burial.  At  this  place  fish-bones  were  found  by  the  natives, 
whicli  showed  them  that  Crozier  and  his  party  had  caught 
while  there  a  species  of  fish  excellent  for  food,  with  which  the 
sea  there  abounds.  The  next  trace  of  this  party  occurs  about 
five  or  six  miles  eastward,  on  a  long  point  of  King  William's 
Land,  where  one  man  died  and  was  buried.  Tlien  about 
south-southeast  two  and  a  half  miles  furtlur,  the'  next  trace 
occurs  on  Todd's  Lslet,  where  the  remains  of  five  ini  lie. 
The  next  certain  trace  of  this  party  is  on  the  west  side  of  the 
islet,  west  of  Point  Richardson,  on  some  low  land  that  is  an 
island  or  part  of  the  mainland,  as  the  tide  may  Vjc.  Here 
the  awning-covered  boat  and  the  remains  of  about  thirty 
or  thirty-five  of  Crozier's  party  were  found  by  the  nati\o 
Poo-yet-ta,  of  whom  Sir  John  Ross  has  given  a  description 
in  the  account  of  his  voyage  in  the  Victory  in  1829-'34.  In 
the  spring  of  1849,  a  large  tent  was  found  by  the  natives  whom 
I  saw,  the  floor  of  which  was  completely  covered  with  the 
remains  of  white  men. 

"  Close  by  were  two  graves.  This  tent  was  a  little  way 
inland  from  the  head  of  Terror  Bay.  In  the  spring  of  1801, 
when  the  snow  was  nearly  all  gone,  an  Eskimo  party,  con- 
ducted by  a  native  well  known  throughout  the  northern  re- 
gions, found  two  boats,  with  many  skeletons  in  and  about 
them.  One  of  these  boats  had  been  previously  found  by 
M'Clintock  ;  the  other  was  found  lying  from  a  quarter  to  a 
half  mile  distant,  and  must  have  been  completely  entombed 
in  snow  at  the  time  M'Clintock's  parties  were  there,  or  they 
most  assuredly  would  have  seen  it.    In  and  about  this  boat, 


i 


i 


Ml 


250 


THE  <;i:i:at  wuitk  .yoirrii 


i^i^ 


-;tii' 


■-:i 


i 


f    r 


bosido  thp  skeletons  alluded  to,  were  found  many  relics,  most 
of  them  similar  in  character  to  those  MX'lintock  1  nu- 

nii  ratetl  as  havinjj;  been  found  in  tlie  boat  h(>  disco\  .i.  I 
tried  hard  to  accomplish  far  more  than  I  did,  but  not  om  of 
the  company  would  on  any  account  whatever  consent  to 
remain  with  me  in  that  country  and  make  a  summer  search 
over  that  island,  which,  from  information  I  hail  jiained  from 
the  n.'itives,  I  had  reasc^i  to  sui)pose  would  be  rewarded  by 
the  discovery  of  the  whole  of  the  manuscrii)t  records  that 
had  been  accumulated  in  that  fireat  expedition,  and  had  been 
(le]iosited  in  a  vault,  a  littl  ■  way  inland  or  eastward  of  ("ape 
Victory.  Knowinji  as  I  now  <lo  tlie  character  of  the  Kskimos 
in  that  part  of  the  country  i!i  which  Kini;-  William's  Land  is 
situ.ated,  I  cannot  wonder  at  nor  blame  the  Re])ulse  Hay 
natives  for  their  refusal  to  remain  there  as  I  desired.  It  is 
quite  ]irobable  that,  had  we  remained  there  as  I  wished,  no 
one  of  us  would  ever  have  jiot  out  of  the  country  alive. 
IIow  (ould  we  exi)ect,  if  we  got  into  straitened  circumstances, 
that  we  would  receive  bett(T  treatm(>ut  from  the  I^kimos  of 
that  country  than  the  lOo  souls  who  were  under  the  com- 
mand of  the  heroic  ( "rozier  some  time  after  landinj;  on  Kinjf 
William's  Land?  Couhl  I  and  my  jiarty  with  reast)nablo 
safety  have  remained  to  make  a  summer  search  on  Kinjj; 
William's  Land,  it  is  not  only  probable  that  we  should  have 
recov(>red  the  lo<!;s  and  journals  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  Ex])!'- 
dition,  but  have  jrathered  up  and  entombe^l  the  remains  of 
nearly  100  of  his  comjianions  ;  for  they  lie  al)out  tlie  places 
where  the  three  boats  hav(>  even  been  found  and  at  the  ]arf>;o 
caminnji-place  at  the  head  of  Terror  Bay  and  th(>  three  other 
places  that  I  ha\('  already  mention(>d.  In  the  cove,  west 
side  of  Point  Richardson,  however,  nature  lu^-self  Jias  opened 
Iier  bosom  and  ix,\vvn  s(-]iulture  to  the  l)ones  of  the  inunortal 
Iktocs  who  died  tluTc.  Wherev(>r  the  Eskimos  have  found 
the  graves  of  Franklin'.s  companions,  they  have  dug  them 


■  \ 


HELlL's   OF  .S/A'  JOHN   riiA\KLIX 


251 


open  and  rcMicd  the  dead,  Icavitif;  thciii  ('.\iK)S('d  to  tlio  rav- 
ages of  wild  beasts.  On  Todd's  Island,  the  remains  of  live 
men  were  not  liuri((l  ;  Imt,  after  the  sava.ues  had  rubbed  ihem 
of  every  article  that  could  be  turned  to  account  for  their  use, 
their  dotis  were  allow<'d  to  linish  the  dis^astin^  work.  The 
native  who  conducted  my  native  i)arty  in  its  search  over 
Kiiifi  William's  Land  is  the  same  iiKhvidual  who  '^uvv  Dr.  Rao 
the  first  information  about  white  men  .lavinji  <lied  to  the 
westward  of  where  he  iDr.  Rae)  tlien  was  (I'elly  Bayj  in  the 
si)rinsi:  of  IS.lt.  Ilis  name  is  In-nook-])oo-zlie-jook,  and  he  is 
a  native  of  Xeitdiille,  a  very  jireat  traveller  and  very  intelli- 
jient.  lie  is,  in  fact,  a  walkinji  history  of  the  fate  of  Sir 
John  Kranklir.'s  llxpedition.  This  native  I  met  when  within 
one  day's  sledjic  journey  of  Kin.u;  William's  Land  —  off  Point 
Dryden  ;  and  after  stoppin,"-  a  few  days  amon^-  liis  people, 
he  accom])anied  in<'  to  the  places  I  visited  on  and  about 
Kinjj;  William's  Land. 

*'I  could  have  readily  siatheretl  (luautities  —  a  very  ^''^^i^t 
variety  of  relics  of  Sir  John  I'ranklin's  exjK-dition,  for  they 
are  now  jjossessed  by  natives  all  over  the  Arctic  Rej>ioiis  that 
I  visited  or  heard  of  —  from  Pond's  liay  to  ]\Lickenzie  Hiver. 
As  it  was,  I  had  to  be  satisfied  with  takinji;  upon  our  sledjies 
about  I'io  i)ounds  total  weiiiht  of  relics  from  natives  about 
Kin,i>;  William's  Land.  Some  of  these  I  will  eiuun(>rate  : 
1.  A  ])ortion  of  one  side  (several  i)lanks  and  rii)s  fast  toirether) 
of  a  boat,  clinker-built  and  copjx'r-fastened.  This  part  of  a 
l)oat  is  of  the  one  found  near  the  boat  hjvmd  by  M'C'lintoek's 
party.  2.  .\  small  oak  sledm'-runner,  reduc(>d  fr!)m  the 
sledjve  on  which  the  boat  re>ted.  H.  Part  of  the  mast  of  the 
Northwest  Passaiie  ship.  L  ( 'hronometer-'oox,  with  its  num- 
ber, name  of  the  maker,  and  the  (Queen's  broad  arrow  en'.'javed 
upon  it.  .').  Two  louK  heavy  sheets  of  cojjper,  three  and  four 
inches  wide,  with  countersunk  holes  for  screw-nails.  On 
these  sheets,  as  well  as  on  mo.st  everything  else  that  came 


ih' 


1 1«  1. 1 

M 


I  <  ; 

i! 


-.)-  r///-;  uiiKAT  WHITE  yoirnr 

li'cmtlic  Xortliwcsl  I'assiijic  ship,  arc  imincnms  stamps  of  tlio 
(Juccn's  l)rua(l  arrow,  (i.  Maliojiaiiy  writiiifi-dcsk,  cluho- 
ratcly  finishfd  and  hound  in  hrass.  7.  Many  pieces  of  silver- 
I)late,  forks,  and  s|)ooiis,  liearinjj;  crests  and  initial  of  tli(> 
owners.  S.  Parts  of  watches.  !).  Knives  a!id  very  many 
otlier  things  which  you,  Mr.  (Irimiell,  and  others  interested 
in  the  fate  of  the  Frankhn  ]i\pe(htion,  will  take  a  sad  inten^st 
in  inspectin;i:  on  their  arrival  in  the  States.  One  entire  skele- 
ton I  have  hroujiht  to  (he  I'nited  Stales." 

Hall,  some  time  after  his  return,  placed  the  carefully 
l)reserved  remains  in  charfje  of  Mr.  Hrevoor,,  of  Brooklyn, 
who  transferred  them  to  Admiral  Infih^field,  I{.  X.,  to  be 
forwarded  to  iMijilaiiil.  Suhsecjuentiy  (hy  the  i)lu<;- of  a  tooth) 
the  skeleton  was  identified  as  the  remains  of  Lieutenant 
\'econte,  of  the  I'Jirhiis. 

The  same  year  that  the  Erchttsiind  Terror  were  abandoned, 
one  of  them  consummated  the  (I reat  Northwest  Passajje,  hav- 
ing: five  men  aboard.  The  evidence  of  the  exact  number  is 
circumstantial.  Everythinji;  about  this  Xortl;.vest  Passant! 
ship  was  in  comi>lete  order.  It  was  found  by  the  Ood-joo-lik 
natives  near  O'lieilly  Island,  latitude  ()S°  'MY  X.,  longitude 
1M)°  W..  early  in  the  si)rin,ii;  of  1849,  frozen  in  the  midst  of 
a  floe  of  only  ore  winter's  formation. 

With  the  unwillinji;  consciousness  that  he  could  accom- 
plish nothinji  further  of  research  in  the  P>oz(mi  Rej>;ions,  Cup- 
tain  Hall  had  now  to  think  of  a  return  to  the  Fnited  States  ; 
purposinjz;  there  to  collate  and  publish  tlie  result  of  his  pro- 
tracted .\rctic  e.xjK'rience.  then  to  make  his  lon<>;  meditated 
voyage  to  the  Pole,  and,  if  i)ossibl(>,  afterward  revisit  Kinj; 
^\'illian^s  Land. 

In  regard  to  his  plans  he  writes  :  — 

"  I  hope  to  start  next  sprinj);  with  a  vessel  for  Jones'  Sound, 
and  thence  toward  the  Xorth  Pole  as  far  as  navigation  will 
permit.     The  following;  si)rinfj;,  by  sledge  journey,  I  will  make 


■  \ 


hall's  UKTURy  to  tuk  r.\iTi:n  statls 


j>)-> 


for  tlic  jioal  of  my  aiiihition,  the  North  I'olc.  I  do  lioju'  to 
1)0  uhli'  to  resume  snow-liut  uiul  tent  encampment  very  near 
the  Pole  l)y  the  hitter  i)art  of  1870,  ami  nmeh  nearer,  indeed 
ii\  (he  very  I'ole,  in  the  spring  foUowin};,  to  wit,  in  1S7I. 
There  is  no  use  in  man's  sayinji,  it  cannot  he  done  —  that  the 
North  l\»le  is  beyond  our  reach.  ]W  judicious  jilans,  and  hy 
luivinfj;  a  carefully  selectcil  company.  I  trust  rtith  a  Heaven- 
jirotectiiiK  care  to  reach  it  in  less  time,  and  with  far  less 
mental  anxieties,  than  I  have  experienced  to  j^et  to  Kinjj; 
William's  Lan<l.  I  have  always  held  to  the  opinion  that 
whoever  would  lead  the  way  there  should  first  have  years  of 
exi)erience  among  the  wild  natives  of  the  North  :  and  this  is 
one  of  my  reasons  for  submitting  to  searching  so  long  for  the 
lost  ones  of  Franklin's  Exi)edition." 

The  ex])ressi()n  of  such  ])urposes,  including  that  of  a  subse- 
(luent  retm'u  to  King  William's  Land,  is  certainly  remarkal)le, 
as  coming  from  one  whose  sledge  journeys  only,  during  the 
fiv(>  years  which  now  closed  uj)on  him,  exceeded  the  aggregate 
of  four  thousand  miles.  A  willingness  ''to  r(>sume  snow-hut 
and  tent"  would  s(»em  exi)licable  only  by  suj)posing  that 
next  to  the  lofty  ideas  with  which  his  mind  enthusiastically 
invested  everything  Arctic,  was  the  extreme  of  a  strange 
fascination  with  the  uncouth  life  he  had  been  leading.  lie 
says  himself,  at  about  this  same  date,  that  ther(>  was  nothing 
in  the  way  of  food  in  which  the  natives  (k'lighted  that  he  did 
not  delight  in,  and  that  this  uuiy  appear  strange  to  some, 
l)Ut  was  triif.  He  had  that  day  "a  grand  good  feast  on  the 
kind  of  meat  he  had  been  longing  for—  the  deer  killed  last 
fall  ;  rott(>n.  strong,  and  stinking,  and  for  these  (jualities, 
excellent  for  Tnnuits  and  for  the  writer." 

Hall,  accompanied  by  his  faithful  Kskimo  friends.  ,Ioe, 
Hannah,  and  her  adojited  child  Pun-na,  returned  to  Nrw 
Pjedford,  Massachusetts.  September  2().  18()9.  When  off  tlu> 
lighthouse  of   Nantucket,  Massachusetts,  Hannah   and   her 


--■; 


.  I 


.1 


'■} 


I  i.  ii 


i 


lI.U 


/■///•;  <ii!i:AT  win  IK  yoinii 


cliild  (liojjpcil  their  iwitivc  dresses  and  put  on  tluise  of  a 
civili/eil  land. 

Immediately  upon  his  return  to  the  Slates,  ('aptain  Hall 
endea\duied  to  arou-e  pulilie  interest  in  his  lonu-eheri>hed 
plan  for  an  exiiedition  to  the  I'ole.  Hy  untiring  personal 
efforts  and  the  suppoi't  of  enthusiastic  friends,  he  succeeded 
in  enjiajiinii;  the  attentii>n  of  (  'on^ress,  which  authorized  "An 
I'Apedition  to  the  Xorth  I'nle,  the  only  one  in  the  hi.-tory  of 
the  nation."  Fifty  tliousand  dollars  was  appropriated  for 
expenses  and  a  Ncssel  .selected  from  the  navy,  which  was  thor- 
ouiihly  fitted  out  at  an  expense  of  ninety  thousand  more. 

"  Never  was  an  .\rctic  expedition  more  completely  fitted 
out."  Wl'ote  Ilall,  at  ( iodhaven,  in  a  'elter  home  .\u,nu.>t  22. 

Tlie  I'oltirl^,  in  connnand  of  ('aptain  Ilall,  with  S.  ( ). 
Buddinjiton  as  sailiuLi-niaster,  Dr.  llmil  I'.essels  in  char^ie  of 
the  scientitic  woi'k,  and  twenty-four  othei's,  sailed  from  New 
London.  ( 'omiecticut,  .luly  ;),  1N71.  .\t  Proven,  Hans,  the 
dofi;  driver,  who  had  served  with  Kane  and  Hayes,  accom- 
panied l»y  his  wife  and  three  children,  was  taken  aboard. 

The  I'dhtris  encountered  a  jireat  deal  of  ice  at  the  en- 
trance of  W'olstenholme  Sound,  so  that  the  passaji'c  through 
it  was  effected  with  much  diliicidty.  Steaming  throujili  the 
leads,  she  was  compelle(l  to  stop  for  the  first  time  off  the 
western  shore  of  Ilakluyt  Island  on  .Ausiust  27. 

By  Aujiust  21),  she  stood  in  latitude  82°  11'  X.,  havinc; 
succes.sfuUy  navijiated  Kane  Basin,  Keiniedy  Channel,  Hall 
Basin,  and  Hoheson  (  hamiel.  and  into  the  Polar  Sea.  I'nable 
to  retain  her  position  l)y  the  force  of  the  ciu'rent,  she  returned 
soutliward  and  went  into  winter  (juarters  in  <S1°  ;j8'  north 
latitude  at  Thank  ( iod  Hariior,  (ireenlainl. 

("aptain  Hall  v/as  very  desirous  of  makinti;  a  sledjie  journey 
before  the  winter  set  in,  for  the  ])urpos(>  of  reconnoitrin.n 
and  selecting  the  best  rout(>  for  his  }j,reat  .iourn(  y  in  the  sjjrinji; 
toward  the  Pole. 


L\ 


.1 


FrXEUAL   OF   f'APTAIN    HaLL 


.  \ 

I 
¥  m 


'  (  ' 


I 

■A'  u-J 
If!  .,. 


5^ 


»! 


I 


i4| 


I  i,  ii 


iL^\, 


hi:  ATI  I  or  HALL 


L\w 


By  the  2S)li  of  ScpttnilxT,  the  final  preparations  for  this 
journey  were  complete.  'I'lie  (lo;;s  were  selected  and  carefully 
fed.  The  Mskinios  had  put  the  sledjre  in  order,  and  those 
selecte(|  to  accDnipany  ('aptain  Hall  were  liusy  niakiny;  their 
personal  preparations.  Not  until  the  lOth  of  Octoher  was 
the  start  finally  made.  Hall  heinji;  uccunii)anie(l  hy  Mr. 
Chester  and  the  Kskiinos,  Joe  and  Hans. 

On  the  2}th  of  October,  the  sledj>;e  party  returned,  having 
reached  as  far  north  as  Cape  Hrevoort,  82°  X.  They  hud  all 
been  well,  during  their  two  weeks'  absence,  with  the  exception 
of  (aptain  Hall,  who  had  complained  that  he  did  not  feel  hi.s 
wonted  vifiour  and  endurance  ;  and  for  the  last  three  days  had 
not  felt  at  all  well. 

He  had  frecjuently  exi)ressed  his  surprise  during  the  journey 
that  he  was  not  able  to  run  before  the  sleds  and  encourage  the 
dogs,  as  on  former  exjx-ditions,  but  had  been  compelled  to 
keep  on  the  sled,  ("aptain  Hall  had  not  been  aboard  iialf 
an  hour  before  he  was  taken  violently  ill,  and  by  8  P..M. 
his  entire  left  side  was  paralyzetl  as  the  result  of  an  apo- 
])lectic  attack.  By  the  evening  of  the  2."ith,  he  was  delirious  ; 
on  November  7,  he  sank  into  a  cotnatose  state,  breathing 
heavily  ;  he  remained  in  this  condition  until  3  :  25  a..m.  of 
the  Sth,  when  he  died. 

Th(>  sad  news  was  l)roken  to  the  ship's  company,  and  none 
felt  his  loss  more  than  the  ]\skimos,  Joe  and  Hannah,  who  had 
been  his  constant  companions  for  nearlj-  ten  years.  These 
faithful  friends  had  looked  upon  him  as  u  father,  and  were 
now  heart-broken. 

On  Xovombor  11,  Captain  Ooorge  Tyson,  assistant  navi- 
gator of  the  expedition,  wrote  in  his  diary  :  — 

"As  we  went  to  the  grave  this  morning,  the  coffin  hauled 
on  a  sledge,  over  which  was  si)r(>ad,  instead  of  a  pall,  the  Amer- 
ican flag,  wo  w.'ilked  in  procession.  T  walked  on  with  my 
lantern  a  little  in  advance  ;    then  came  the  captain     and 


<  '.■] 


{ 


'•    s  ' 


i 


i4 


1^  i 

;     ( 

R 

I'- 


ll   :; 


J 

■  I 

! 


'2.>U 


tilt:  (iUKAT    WlUtK  Soliill 


olliccis.  the  rnjiiiiccr,  Dr.  BcsscI,  ami  Meyers  ;  and  then  tl.  ■ 
crew,  liailliiiy;  llie  body  liy  a  rope  attached  to  the  .sled^,e, 
<»iie  ot  the  men  on  tlie  riglit  holding  another  hititern.  Nearly 
ah  are  dressed  in  skins,  and,  were  tliere  other  ».'ves  to  see  us, 
we  should  looU  like  aiiythinjj;  hut  u  funeral  n)rteKe.  The 
ICskiinos  followed  the  crew.  There  is  a  weird  sort  of  liy;ht 
in  the  air,  partly  lioreal  or  electric,  throujih  which  the  star.s 
shone  hri^htly  at  11  a.m.,  while  on  our  way  to  the  urave. 

"Thus  end  poor  Hall's  atnhitious  projects;  thus  is  stilled 
the  cil'ervescinK  enthusiasm  of  as  ardent  a  nature  as  I  ever 
knew.  Wise  he  ini^ht  not  always  have  l)een,  hut  his  soul 
was  in  this  work,  and  had  he  lived  till  spring,  I  think  he  woulil 
have  none  as  far  as  mortal  man  could  ^o  to  acci)mplish  hi.s 
mission.  But  with  his  death  I  fear  that  all  hopes  of  fiuther 
l)ro,iiress  will  have  to  he  abandoned. " 

The  death  of  ( "aptaiii  Hall  proved  to  be  fatal  to  the  main 
t)bject  of  the  exjK'dition  —  the  attainment  of  the  Pole;  if 
possible—  or  the  absolute  proof  of  its  inaccessibility.  The 
command  of  the  expedition  now  ch'Volveil  upon  Cuptaiu 
liuddinj^ton. 

Several  unsuccessful  boat  journeys  to  the  north  were  fol- 
lowed by  a  sledge  journey  under  Dr.  liessels,  to  Petermami 
Fiord,  .\nother  boat  journey  by  Mr.  Chester  reucliecl  \ew- 
maii  Bay,  but  it  was  left  to  Serjeant  V.  Meyer,  Sifi;nal  ( 'orps, 
r.S.  .\rmy,  to  reach  on  foot  the  most  northerly  land  at  that 
time  ever  reachecl  by  civilized  man,   near  Hepuls(>  Harbor, 

On  the  mil  of  .\ujiu.st,  1.S72,  the  ice  of  the  straits  was  ob- 
served to  l)e  in  motion,  driftinjz;  to  the  .south.  With  the  hope 
of  n  leasinjf  the  shij)  and  returning  home,  ("ajitain  Buddinjz;- 
ton,  after  an  examination  of  the  ice,  (h'cided  it  would  be  safe 
to  force  the  vessel  throufjh.  At  4  :  'M)  p.m.  the  enjiines  were 
started,  and  the  I'tdari^  left  Thank  (iod  Harl.'or  :  with  ure:it 
care  the  vessel  was  piloted  between  the  heavy  floes,  chaiiiiing 


L\ 


"I'OLAUls"   ADllirr  AM()\(^    TIIK  WKIlEltUS 


-•>f 


litT  course  frcciiitiitly,  Init  ulwa;     nti>iii»K  Krouiid.     \\\   ili<' 
IStli,  she  stood  T'.t'   H'  30"  N. 

Oil  the  "JTtli,  cvt'ry  j)r('p;irutioii  was  iiuidc  for  a  po^ildc 
jiliaiidomiiciit  of  tlu'  vt'>scl.  A  house  was  built  on  the  tloe, 
as  a  retreat  in  ease  tlie  sliip  sliould  l»e  destroyed.  Tor 
luarly  two  nioutlis  the  I'olaris  (hifted  southward  at  the  mercy 
of  tlie  ice-pack,  and  was  nipped  near  Little  Island  liy  Octoher 

"At  ')  A.M.  of  the  loth  (October),"  writes  Admiral  Davis 
in  his  ••  Narrative  of  the  North  I'olar  K.xpedition,"  "a  very 
heavy  snow  liejian  to  fall,  and  continued  until  S  .\.M.,  when 
the  wind  blew  so  hard  that  it  was  impossible  to  dlstinjiuish 
between  the  falling!;  and  drifting  snow.  The  fiale  increased  all 
day,  driving  the  vessel  with  its  surrounding  ice  with  <!;i<'iit 
rapi«lity.  It  commenced  to  blow  from  the  S.  K  .  but  shifted 
to  the  S.,  and  finally  to  the  S.  W.  During  its  prevalence,  the 
air  was  so  comi)letely  filled  with  the  flying  snow  that  one 
could  not  see  more  than  20  or  30  feet.  The  slii])  had  remained 
fast  to  the  floe  so  long,  and  drifted  with  it  so  far,  that  no  par- 
ticular anxiety  was  felt  as  to  the  result. 

"'i'he  captain  had,  however,  always  said  that  if  the  vessel 
passed  through  Smith  Strait,  he  would  not  feel  easy  until 
the  ice  in  which  she  lay,  had  joined  the  regular  Baffin's  Bay 
pack. 

"The  'north-water,'  as  it  is  called  by  whalemen,  is  always 
found  in  the  northern  part  of  Baffin  Bay.  and  lie  knew  that, 
were  this  safely  crossed,  th(^  ship  would  float  (luietly  <lown 
with  the  pack  all  wint(>r,  and  be  released  in  the  spring  far  to 
the  south. 

"The  direction  in  which  the  vessel  was  moving  was  a  matter 
of  speculation;  the  fact  of  her  moving  was  admitted.  The 
daily  work  being  done,  after  diimer  the  men  settled  themselves 
down  ;is  usu.al  for  the  enjoyments  of  the  evening.  At  <>  p.m., 
it  was  rejiortetl  that  the  starboaril  siiU;  of  the  vessel  was  free 


fi  ■ 


2f>S 


A  ' 


THE  GREAT   WHITE  NOIiTlt 


troiM  i(v.  Thr  <-;ii)ttiiii  turned  out  tho  t-nnv,  ami  .sccumi  the 
.-Inp  \^y  an  additional  hawser  to  the  flo(>.  This  extra  haxvs.T 
was  (,v(T  the  stern  an<l  1(>,1  from  a  iar^e  i.r-anchor,  sunk  in 
the  floe  to  the  niain-n.ast.  Two  hawsers  luul  served  during 
the  whole  of  the  drift  to  hold  the  Polarin  to  the  floe,  one  over 
the  hows  and  one  over  the  stern.  Final  jireparations  were 
niadt  to  abandon  the  v(>ssel,  nearly  evervthiuf--  had  been  sot 
mi.ly  on  .l.>ck  ;  the  seanu.i  still  had  their  elothes  and  personal 
ettecls  to  look  after. 

"  Th(>  Polaris  was  dri\-en  alonji  at  a  v(Ty  rapid  rate.  Many 
oa^er  faeces  looked  ov(>r  the  rail  and  peered  into  the  darkness 
and  th(>  f.l(H)ni,  won<lerinfr  wluit  would  hajipen  next.  The; 
sky  was  threateninf,^  The  moon  strusfjled  in  vain  to  break 
thr.,u..h  th<>  (■lou<ls.  Two  ieeb,.rj.s  wer(>  passed  in  close 
proximity.  Some  judgment  could  be  formed  by  means  of 
them  as  to  the  rapidity  with  which  the  vessel  was  moving. 
One  could  scarcely  h.elp  shuddering  as  he  thoufrht  of  the  con- 
se(iu.>nces  of  rmmin-  into  one  of  thos<>  gifrantic  ice-mountains. 
()n(>  or  two  persons  thought  the  land  was  visible,  but  it  was 
very  uncertain. 

'At   7:30    the  vessel    ran  among  some   icebergs,  which 
brought  up  the  floe  to  which  she  was  attach.',! ;  at  the  same 
tune,  the  jiack  closed  up,  janmiing  her  heavily;   it  was  then 
the  vessel  secured  her  severest  nip.     It  is  hard  to  describe 
the  effect  of  that  pressure.     She  shook  and  trembletl.     She 
was  raised  up  bodily  and  thrown  ov<'r  on  Ikt  port  side.     Hct 
tnnbers  cracked  with  loud  report,  esixvially  about  the  .stern 
The  sides  seem.'d  to  be  l)reaking  in.     The  cleat  to  which  one 
of  the  aft(>    hav,,s(.rs  was  attached  snapped  off,  and  the  haw.s(>r 
was  .secured  to  the  mast.     One  of  the  firemen,  hurrying  on 
deck,  reported  that  a  piece  of  ice  had  been  <lriven  through  the 
sides.     Escape   from   destruction   seemed   to   be  imiwssible. 
The  pressure  and  the  noise  increased  together.     The  violence 
of  the  night,  and  the  grinding  of  th(>  ice,  ailded  to  the  horror 


TUE   WliKLK  OF  Till!:  '' POLARIS " 


209 


of  tho  situation.  Feeling  it  was  extremely  doubtful  whether 
the  ship  would  stand,  Captain  Huddinjj;ton  onU'red  i)ruvisions 
and  stores  to  bo  thrown  ujxm  the  ice.  Then  followed  a  busy 
seene.  Eaen  one  was  deejjly  impressed  with  the  exigency 
of  tlu^  moment,  and  ex(Tted  himself  to  the  utmost.  Boxes, 
barrels,  cans,  etc.,  were  thrown  over  the  side  with  (extraor- 
dinary rapichty.  Men  performed  jfigantic  feats  of  strength, 
t()ssing  with  ajiparent  ease,  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment, 
boxes  which  at  other  times  they  would  not  have  essayecl  to 
lift.  Forward,  coal  and  more  substantial  jjrovisions  and 
bags  of  clothing  were  thrown  overboard  ;  abaft,  the  lighter 
boxes  of  canned  meats  and  tobacco,  with  all  the  umsk-ox 
skins  and  fresh  seal-meat,  were  transjwrted  to  and  fro.  The 
cabin  was  entirely  emptied,  befls  and  bedding,  clothes  and 
even  ornaments,  were  carried  (jut.  Messrs.  Bryan  and  Meyer 
placed  upon  the  floe  the  box(>s  containing  all  their  note-books, 
observations,  etc.  This  was  done  deliberately  and  after 
mutual  consultation.  The  boxes  were  too  large  to  be  carried 
about,  and,  in  the  actual  condition  of  things,  the  Hoe  appeared 
to  be  decidedly  the  best  place. 

"  The  Eskimo  women  and  childr(>n  took  refuge  on  the 
ice,  and  two  boats  were  lowereil  and  with  a  scow  placed  on 
the  flt)e. 

"The  pressure  had  now  })ecome  so  great  that  the  great  floe 
itself  had  cracked  in  several  jilaces,  and  the  vessel  was  grad- 
ually breaking  its  edge  and  bearing  down  the  pieces.  Many 
articles  had  been  thrown  in  a  heaj)  near  the  .ship,  and  it  was 
found  that  some  of  the  lower  things  in  the  pile  were  dropping 
through  between  the  vessel  and  the  ice.  It  was  also  seen  that 
should  the  ship  be  cut  through  and  .sink,  many,  if  not  all  these 
articles,  would  sink  with  her.  A  call  wits  therefore  made  for 
these  men  to  carry  these  articles  to  a  safer  place  on  the  floe. 
There  was  no  special  designation  for  that  duty  ;  l)ut  Captain 
Tyson,  taking  .several  persons  with  him,  at  once  entered  uii  it. 


I' 


2»)0 


THE  CHEAT    WHITE  NORTH 


»»    • 


|i    i 


I       !' 


Afd-r  luhorins  about  one  liour  and  a  half,  tli(>  docks  wore 
cleared  and  the  men  on  hoard  ship  had  finished  their  work. 
At  !) : ;]()  I'.M.,  by  sumo  chanfj;o  in  the  ico,  the  starboanl  side 
was  a,i«ain  cl(>ar ;  the  vess(>l  was  free  from  i)rossuro,  and  the 
cracks  in  the  floo  bof^an  to  ojK'n. 

"Unfortunatoly,  two  of  those  cracks  ran  through  the  places 
where  the  stern  anchors  had  boon  plantoil,  breaking  their 
hold.  The  wind,  still  strong,  now  drove  the  vessel  from  the 
floe,  and,  the  anchors  dragging  under  the  strain,  she  swung 
round  to  the  forward  hawser.  The  latter  slii)pod,  and  the 
vessel  was  carried  rapidly  away  from  the  ico.  The  night  was 
black  and  stormy,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  floo  and  its  pre- 
cious freight  could  no  longer  be  soon  through  the  drifting  snow. 
Before  the  separation,  it  had  been  noticed  that  the  floe  was 
nuich  brok(Mi  on  its  edge  ;  that  the  provisions  and  stores  wore 
separated  from  each  other  by  rapidly  widening  cracks;  that 
the  nu'ii  also  wore  on  different  pieces  of  ice;  that  active 
efforts  wore  being  made  to  launch  boats  in  order  to  bring  the 
scattered  ])ooi)lo  together.  Several  men  were  soon  rushing 
toward  the  ship  as  she  was  leaving,  but  they  failed  to  roach 
her.  The  voice  of  the  steward,  John  Herron,  was  hoard  call- 
ing out,  'C.ood-by,  Polaris  !' 

"  Nineto(>n  persons  wore  thus  separated  from  the  ship,  in- 
cluding eight  Eskimos  and  the  baby  of  Hans  and  Hannah 
—  fourteen  men  remained  on  board  —  '  This  remnant  of  a 
crow,  so  suddenly  reduced,  gazed  on  each  other  for  a  few  mo- 
ments in  silence  —  when  the  order  w^as  given  to  station  the 
lookouts  ;   the  duties  of  the  ship  were  resumed.' 

"A  few  moments  after  the  separation,  a  fireman  who  was 
below  getting  up  steam  reported  that  the  vessel  was  leaking 
badly.  Upon  examination  it  was  foimd  that  the  water  was 
pouring  in  so  rapidly  that  it  was  feared  that  the  fires  would 
1)0  put  out  b(>foro  sto:;m  could  bo  raised  to  work  the  pumps. 

"  All  hands  wore  immediately  ordered   to   the   largo   dock 


TUE  SEPARATION  OF  THE  CREW 


261 


puinjis,  ami  a  few  j)ail.s  of  hot  water  started  tlie  four  pumps. 
The  captain  called  out,  'Work  for  your  lives,  boys,'  and  tlu; 
crew  set  to  work  with  a  will.  In  spite  of  their  utmost  efforts, 
the  leak  still  gained  upon  them.  The  engineers  and  firemen 
were  urged  to  their  utmost.  Everything  of  a  combustible 
character,  including  seal  blubber,  was  thrown  upon  the  fire, 
and  at  the  end  of  an  hour  and  ten  minutes  of  the  severest 
labor,  the  steam  pumps  were  at  last  in  working  order.  Nor  was 
this  a  moment  too  soon,  for  at  the  moment  the  pumps  began 
to  work,  the  water  was  lapping  over  the  floor  of  the  fire-room." 

Captain  Buddington  awaited  a  favourable  opportunity  to 
beach  the  Polaris,  and  this  was  accomplished  a  few  days  later 
near  Life-Boat  Cove,  where  a  comfortable  house  was  built 
of  the  vessel  for  the  winter. 

Some  Eskimos  rendered  them  considerable  assistance,  and 
received  suitable  gifts  in  return. 

"We  have  taken  stock  of  our  ammunition,"  writes  Cap- 
tain Buddington  in  his  journal,  "and  find  that  we  can  avail 
ourselves  of  about  eight  pounds  of  powder,  which  some  of  the 
men  had  stored  away  in  their  chests  and  powder-flasks. 
This  is  all  we  have  on  board,  the  powder-can  having  been  also 
put  off  on  the  ice  during  the  fearful  night  of  the  15th  ;  also  all 
our  Sharp's  cartridges,  except  some  open  (loose)  ones  which 
were  found  amongst  the  m(>n's  things.  One  box  of  musk(>t- 
cartridges  we  have,  and  plenty  of  shot  and  lead  ;  also  several 
shot  guns.  In  fact,  we  are  not  altogether  as  bad  off  as  we  first 
supi)osed,  and  the  only  thing  that  we  are  short  of  is  clothing. 
This,  if  we  cannot  get  any  game,  we  may  feel  considerably 
before  spring  comes  on." 

The  Eskimos  from  Etah  made  frequent  visit-^,  but  could  give 
them  no  information  of  the  lost  members  of  ihe  party.  The 
general  opinion  with  Captain  Buddington  and  his  men  was 
that  Tyson  had  been  able  to  effect  a  landing  with  his  men, 
somewhere  to  the  south,  and  that  he  would  probably  use  his 


P  '.' 


\ 


'I 


■  1 


A 


w 


I 


:V 


M 


>\ 


.  II 


2«;2 


r//^  (iREAT    WHITE  NORTU 


<l()Ks,  sleds,  uiul  boats  to  travel  up  the  eoust  and  rejoin  the 
niiiiii  jjurtj'. 

In  the  sprin-  of  1873  two  boats  were  earefully  eonstrueted 
from  the  material  of  the  Polnn.,  and  the  party  made  prepara- 
tions to  reaeh  l^ernavik.  On  June  3,  the  boats,  having 
been  freighted  and  manned,  {-ot  under  way,  and  after  an  excit- 
ing journey  of  two  hundred  miles  were  picked  uj)  near  ('ape 
\ork  by  th<'  Scoteh  whaliM-  Ii(ircn,scrnig. 

One  of  th(>  boats  used  on  this  retreat  was  brought  back  to 
(•ivihzation  and  presented  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution  at 
Uashington.  It  was  exhibited  at  the  International  Fxhi- 
I'ltKMi,  I'hihideli.hia,  May  10,  1870,  by  tlu.  si,h>  of  Kane's  boat 
fad/,,  and  formed  part  of  the  Arctic  C^ollection  furnished  for 
the  Centennial  by  the  Cnited  States  Naval  Observatory. 

To  return  to  the  nineteen  souls  adrift  on  the  ice-floe  ;  of 
the  moment  of  parting  from  the  Polaris,  Captain  Tyson 
writes  :  — 

"The  ice  exploded  and  broke  in  many  i)laces,  and  the  ship 
broke  away  in  the  darkness,  and  we  lost  sight  of  her  in  a 
moment. 

"Cone! 

But  an  ice-bound  horror 
Seemed  to  cling  to  air. 

"It  was  snowing  at  the  time  also  ;  it  was  a  terrible  night 
On  the  15th  of  October  it  may  l)e  said  that  the  Arctic  night 
commences;  but  in  addition  to  this  the  wind  was  blowing 
strong  from  the  south-east  :  it  was  snowing  and  drifting,  and 
was  fearfully  dark  ;  and  the  wind  was  exceedingly  heavy, 
and  so  bad  was  the  snow  and  sleet  that  one  could  not  even  look 
to  the  windward.  We  did  not  know  who  was  on  th(>  ice  or 
who  was  on  the  ship  :  but  I  knew  some  of  the  children  were 
on  the  ice,  because  almost  the  last  thing  I  had  pulled  away 
from  th(«  crushing  he(>l  of  the  ship  were  some  nmsk-ox  skins  ; 
they  were  lying  across  a  wide  crack  in  th(!  ice,  and  as  I  pullecl 


7 


TIIK  IIAIIDSIIIP  OF  THE  CItFAV 


263 


them  toward  me  to  save  them,  I  saw  that  there  were  two  or 
three  of  Han.s'  children  rolled  up  in  one  of  the  skins  ;  a  slight 
motion  of  the  ice,  and  in  a  moment  more  they  would  either 
have  been  in  the  water  and  drowned  in  the  darkness,  or 
crushed  between  the  ice. 

"It  was  nearly  ten  o'clock  when  the  ship  broke  away,  and 
we  had  l)een  at  work  since  six ;  the  time  seemed  long,  for 
we  were  working  all  the  time.  Hannah  was  working,  but  I 
did  not  see  Joe  or  Huns.  We  worked  till  we  could  scarcely 
stand.  They  were  throwing  things  constantly  over  to  us 
till  the  vessel  partetl. 

''Some  of  the  men  were  on  small  pieces  of  ice.  I  took  the 
'little  donkey'  — a  small  scow  —  and  went  for  them;  but 
the  scow  was  almost  instantly  swamped ;  then  I  shoved  off 
one  of  the  whale-boats,  and  took  off  what  men  I  could  see, 
and  some  of  the  men  took  the  other  boat  and  helped  their 
companions,  so  that  we  were  all  on  firm  ice  at  last. 

"We  did  not  dare  to  move  about  much  after  that,  for  we 
coukl  not  see  the  size  of  the  ice  we  were  on,  on  account  of  the 
storm  and  darkness.  All  the  rest  but  myself,  the  men,  women 
and  children,  sought  what  shelter  they  could  from  the  storm 
by  wrapping  themselves  in  the  musk-ox  skins,  and  so  laid  down 
to  rest.     I  alone  walked  the  floe  all  night." 

The  following  morning  an  inventory  was  taken  of  the 
stores  on  the  floe,  and  they  were  found  to  be  :  fourteen  cans  of 
pemmican,  eleven  and  a  half  bags  of  bread,  one  can  of  dried 
apples,  and  fourteen  hams.  "  If  the  ship  did  not  come  for  us," 
writes  Tyson,  "we  might  have  to  support  ourselves  all  winter, 
or  die  of  starvation.     Fortunately,  we  had  the  boats." 

(^aptaln  Tyson  made  an  effort  to  reach  Little  Island,  in 
order  to  secure  the  assistance  of  the  Eskimos  living  in  the 
n(>ighl)ourliood  in  procuring  food  and  shelter  for  his  party 
during  the  \vinter.  This  he  was  unable  to  accomplish,  and 
soon  after  the  Polaris  was  seen  rounding  a  point.     Signals 


,J 


f 


'. 


i 


1 


"t ' 


'■•L 


I, 


31. 

2 


I-  I 


m 

I,  '^ 


2G4 


Tin:  a  HEAT  white  nohtii 


wvn^  made  l)y  hoisting  the  colours  and  showing  an  India-rubber 
elijth,  but  neither  die  signals  nor  the  men  were  seen  by  the 

Another  futile  attempt  was  made  to  attract  the  attention 
of  tliose  on  the  sliij),  and  Captain  Tyson  endeavoured  to  launch 
the  boats  and  reach  her.  '^ut  without  success.  Gales  now 
fonvd  the  lloe  out  of  sight  of  the  ship,  and  the  forlorn  men  set 
to  work  to  make  the  best  of  a  desperate  situation. 

By  late  November,  the  effects  of  exposure  and  want  of 
food  began  to  show  themselves;  some  of  the  men  trembletl 
when  they  tried  to  walk  ;  the  children  often  cried  with  hunger, 
although  all  was  given  to  them  that  could  possibly  be  spared! 
The  seals  brought  in  were  received  with  gratitude;  the  in- 
valuable success  of  Joe  and  Hans  was  fully  appreciated; 
without  them,  the  chances  of  life  would  have  been  very  much 
diminisheil.  So  keen  had  the  appetites  of  the  party  become 
that  the  seal-meat  was  eaten  uncooked  with  the  skin  and 
hair  on. 

December  2'),  Captain  Tyson  records:  — 

"Our  Christmas  dinner  was  gorgeous.  We  had  each  a 
small  i)iece  of  frozen  ham,  two  whole  biscuits  of  hard  bread, 
a  few  mouthfuls  of  dried  apples,  and  also  a  few  swallows  of 
s(>al's  blood  !  The  last  of  the  ham,  the  last  of  the  apples, 
and  the  last  of  our  present  supply  of  seal's  blood  !  So  ends 
our  Christmas  feast  !" 

"X(>w  Year's  dinner.  I  have  dined  to-day  on  about  two 
feet  of  frozen  enfrnit.s  and  a  little  blubber ;  and  I  only  wish 
we  had  pl(>nty  even  of  that,  but  we  have  not." 

On  January  23,  1873,  Captain  Tyson  makes  the  follo\\ing 
observation  :  — 

"I  was  thinking  the  other  evening  how  strange  it  would 
sound  to  hear  a  good  hearty  laugh ;  but  I  think  th(>re  never  was 
a  ixirty  so  destitute  of  every  element  of  merriment  as  this.  I 
cannot  remember  ever  having  seen  a  smile  on  the  countenance 


THE  UARUSliW   OF  Tin:  CREn^ 


26o 


of  any  one  on  this  floe,  except  when  Herron  came  out  of  his 
hut  and  saw  the  sun  shining  for  the  first  time." 

Tlie  months  of  Fel)ruary  and  March  passed  dismally  enough, 
with  varying  fortune  with  the  hunters.  Toward  the  end  of 
March,  the  condition  of  the  party  was  growing  rapidly  worse. 
On  March  3,  Joe  shot  a  monster  oogjook  —  a  large  kintl  of 
seal. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  great  deliverance  to  those  who  had 
been  reduced  to  one  meal  of  a  few  ounces  a  day. 

"Hannah  had  l)ut  two  small  pieces  of  hlubl)er  left,"  con- 
tinues Captain  Tyson,  "enough  for  the  lamp  for  two  days; 
the  men  had  but  little,  ami  Hans  had  only  enough  for  one  day 
—  and  now,  just  on  the  verge  of  absolute  destitution,  comes 
along  this  monstrous  oogjook,  the  only  one  of  the  seal  species 
seen  to-day ;  and  the  fellow,  I  have  no  doubt,  weighs  six  or 
seven  hundred  pounds,  and  will  furnish,  I  should  think,  thirty 
gallons  of  oil.     Truly  we  are  rich  indeed  !" 

"April  1st.  We  have  been  the  'fools  of  fortune'  now  for 
five  months  and  a  half." 

On  this  day  it  was  found  necessary  to  abandon  the  floe, 
whicli  had  now  become  wasted  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was 
no  longer  safe ;  at  8  a.m.,  therefore,  the  party  took  to 
their  boat.  This  boat,  intended  to  carry  six  or  eight  men,  was 
crowded  with  twelve  men,  two  women,  and  five  children,  with 
the  tent  and  skins  and  some  provisions.  There  was  so  little 
room  that  it  was  difficult  to  handle  the  oars  and  yoke-ropes. 
After  making  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  to  the  south  and  west  in 
the  pack,  a  landing  was  effected,  the  tent  pitched  with  the  in- 
tention of  remaining  all  night.  For  the  next  twenty-eight 
days  the  party  advanced  to  the  south  by  boat,  camping  upon 
the  ice  at  night,  undergoing  the  most  perilous  hardships  from 
the  upheavals  of  the  ice,  through  gales  and  storms. 

At  4  :  30  P.M.  of  April  28,  a  steamer  hove  in  sight,  right 
ahead,  and  at  one  time  appeared  to  be  bearing  down  upon  the 


/\ 


( 


, 


'hi 


200 


T//^  Gil  EAT    WHITE  NOHTII 


boat.  The  Anifrican  colours  were  hoisted,  and  the  boat  pulled 
for  her.  She  was  reeo^nized  as  a  sealer  returnin>r  southwest, 
and  apparently  working  tiirough  the  ice.  For  a  few  moments 
the  hearts  of  the  shipwr(>cked  party  were  thrilled  with  joy, 
but  the  steamer  failed  to  see  them,  and  night  coming  on,  she 
soon  disappeared.  That  night  the  boat  was  again  hauled 
upon  the  ice  and  fires  lighted  to  attract  the  attention  of  passing 
vessels. 

At  daylight,  a  steamer  was  seen  eight  miles  off.  The 
boat  was  launched  and  headed  for  the  shij),  —  but  after  two 
hours'  ]>ulling.  she  was  .so  beset  by  ice  that  she  could  make 
no  headway.  The  party  landed  on  a  small  piece  of  ice, 
hoisted  their  colours,  mounted  the  highest  jwint  of  the  floe,  col- 
lected all  the  rifles  and  pistols,  and  fired  them  together  to  at- 
tract attention.  After  three  rounds,  the  steamer  fired  three 
shots,  and,  changing  her  course,  headed  toward  the  floe. 
The  i)arty  gave  a  shout  of  delight,  but  soon  after  the  steamer 
again  changed  her  course,  and  steamed  away. 

"Again  in  the  morning  of  the  30th,  when  the  fog  opened, 
a  steamer  was  seen  close  to  the  floe  ;  the  guns  were  fired,  the 
colors  were  set  on  the  boat's  mast,  and  loud  shouts  were 
uttered.  Hans  shoved  off  in  his  kayak,  of  his  own  accord, 
to  uitercei)t  her,  if  possible  ;  the  morning  was  foggy,  but  the 
steamer's  heail  soon  turned  towards  them  and  in  a  few 
moments,  she  was  alongside  of  the  floe." 

The  three  cheers  given  by  the  shipwrecked  people  were 
returned  by  a  hundred  men  on  deck  and  aloft.  The  vessel 
Vtox(h\  to  be  the  barkentine  TtV/rm,  sealer.  Captain 
Bartlett,  of  Conception  Bay,  Newfoundland.  Her  small  seal 
boats  wer(>  very  soon  in  the  water;  but  the  shipwrecked 
party  did  not  wait  for  them.  They  threw  everything  out  of 
their  own  boat,  launched  her,  and  in  a  few  moments  were  on 
board  the  T/V/ms-.s,  where  they  became  obj(>cts  of  extreme 
curiosity,  as  well  as  of  the  most  devoted  attention.     When  the 


i  h! 


THE  HESCCE  AM)  UETCRX   TO   UNITE  I)  STATES     2«)7 


time  (luring  which  thoy  had  boon  on  the  ico  was  mentioned, 
they  were  regarded  with  astonishment,  and  warmly  congratu- 
lated U})on  th(;ir  miraculous  escape.  They  were  picked  up 
in  latitude  o;i°  35'  N.,  off  (Jrady  Harbor,  Labrador. 

Thus  ended  one  of  the  most  remarkal)le  escapes  on  record. 
For  five  uKjnths  the  little  band  of  shipwrecked  men  and  women 
had  drifted  at  the  mercy  of  the  Arctic  ice-pack,  a  distance  of 
1300  miles. 


i: 


k] 


fi 


r 


III 


'  : 


a1 


'a 


!   .1 

i' 

1 

(i 

CHAPTER  XIV 

Captain  Thomas  Lour.  —  DLscovory  of  Wrangoll  Land. —Captain 
("arisen  and  Captain  Palliscr  sail  across  tho  Sea  of  Kara. — 
Captain  Johannsen  circumnavigates  Nova  Zembla.  —  First  Ger- 
man expedition.  —Second  (ierman  expedition.  —  GYrwaxm,  Cap- 
tain Koldewey  conunandiiiK.—  II ansa,  Captain  Ilegemann.  —  De- 
parture from  Hrenien.  —  Cros-sing  tiie  Arctic  Circle.  —  Island  of 
Jan  :Mayen.  —  The  ice  me.  —  Separation  from  the  Ilatisa.— 
Adrift  on  the  ice-floe.  —  Whiter.  —  Final  rescue. —6V™a;(m 
beset. —Winter.  —  Sledging  parties.  —  Lieutenant  Paycr'.s  re- 
markable journey.  —  77"  1'  north  latitude.  —  Return  of  the  Gcr- 
inania. 

Other  important  (liseoverie.s  followed  the  journoys  of 
Dr.  Hayes  and  Captain  Hall,  including  that  of  Captain 
Thomas  Long,  an  American  whaler,  wlio  in  18G7  discovered 
"a  mountainous  country  of  consi<leraJ)le  extent  in  the  Polar 
Ocean,  l)eyond  Behring  Strait,"  supposed  at  that  time  to 
be  the  western  prolongation  of  Plover  Island. 

The  same  year  Captain  Carlsen  and  Captain  Palliser 
sailed  across  the  generally  inaccessible  Sea  of  Kara  to  the 
mouths  of  the  Obi,  —  and  Captain  Johannsen  succeeded 
in  circumnavigating  the  whole  archipelago  of  Nova  Zembla. 
In  18G8  the  first  German  north  polar  expedition  was  fitted 
out  through  the  exertions  of  the  scientist  Dr.  A.  Peterman 
of  C.otha.  The  yacht  Greenland,  connnanded  by  Captain 
Koldew(>y.  sailed  to  Spitzbergen,  reaching  84°  05'  N.  off  the 
north  coast,  and,  passing  down  Henlopen  Strait,  sighted  Wiche 
Land,  returning  home  the  fall  of  the  same  year. 

In  18G9  and  1870,  the  Germans  made  a  more  successful 
attempt  tu  enter  the  lists  of  Arctic  discovery  by  exploring  a 

2U8 


VAJ'TAIX    THOMAS  LONG 


269 


cotisidorahlc  part  of  the  previously  imvisitcd  coast  of  Kast 
(Ircculaiul.  The  ship  (kriniinki  was  chosen  for  tins  purpose, 
iK'iuK  expressly  adapted  for  ice  navisation  ;  the  Unnsd  of 
nearly  the  same  size  was  to  accompany  her.  ( 'aptain  Karl 
Koldewey  and  Captain  Fr.  Hegemann  were  first  and  second  in 
commaml  respectively. 

"The  departure  of  the  expedition  from  Rremerhaven," 
writes  Captain  Koldewey,  "took  j)lace  on  the  l.')th  of  June, 
ISUl),  in  the  presence  of  his  Majesty,  the  King  of  Prussia, 
whose  warm  interest  in  this  great  national  undertaking  showed 
itself  in  this  solenm  hour  in  a  manner  never  to  he  forgotten. 
Amongst  the  numerous  gentlemen  in  attendance  on  his  Maj- 
esty were  his  Royal  Highness,  the  (Jrand  Dukeof  Mecklenburg 
Schwerin,  Count  Bismarck,  the  Minister  of  War  and  Marine, 
von  Hoon,  (leneral  von  Moltke,  and  Vice-Admiral  Jackman. 
The  ships  lay  at  the  entrance  of  the  new  harbour  just  outside  the 
sluice.  The  king,  having  been  introduced  to  the  scientific  gentle- 
men and  the  commander  of  the  expedition,  and  having  greeted 
them  with  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand,  the  President  of  the 
Bremen  Committee,  Herr  A.  G.  Mosle,  requested  his  Majesty's 
permission  to  speak  a  few  parting  words ;  and  in  an  earnest 
and  impressive  manner  the  speaker  referred  to  the  greatness 
and  importance  of  the  object,  the  self-denial,  difficulties,  and 
dangers  which  lay  before  .hem,  but  which  they  all  willingly 
braved  for  the  honour  of  their  native  land,  for  the  honour  of 
the  German  navy,  and  of  German  science." 

July  1  found  the  expedition  in  61°  north  latitude, 
passing  the  entrance  between  Norway  and  the  Shetland 
Isles.  "With  that  the  German  Ocean  was  left  behind  and  the 
open  sea  reached,  which  already  made  itself  felt  by  the  peculiar 
'Atlantic  swell.'" 

On  the  5th  of  July,  at  fifty  minutes  past  eleven,  the  Ger- 
mnnia  passed  the  Arctic  Circle,  nearly  under  the  meriflian  of 
Greenwch. 


««' 


%' 


I  4) 


270 


THE  GliEAT    WIUTE  .SOU  I  It 


"A  violent  wind  was  Mowinsi,"'  writes  Ciiptniii  Kohiowty, 
"and  with  a  spcrd  of  nine  knots  we  entered  tin-  An  tic  <  V-eun, 
wliicli  was  to  l)e  our  (garters  lor  a  whole  year.  The  Hiinsn 
was  some  miles  in  advance  of  us,  and  was  the  tirM  to  unfurl 
the  North  ( Jerman  fiau  ;  at  the  >ame  time  iirinn  one  jiim.  We 
followed.  Conformahly  to  the  e\i-tom.  as  on  erossinK  the 
efjuator,  Ne|)tune  came  on  hoard  to  welcome  us,  and  wish  us 
.success  on  ovir  voyage;  of  course  luH  without  all  tlio>.'  who 
had  not  yet  crossed  the  Arctic  Cinle  having  to  inideriro  the 
rather  roup;h  shaving  and  christeniiiii  customary  on  such 
occasions.  The  ceremony  closed  (us  is  usual  on  such  ..ccasiotisi 
with  a  ^ood  jflass  of  v>i'>",  to  wash  away  the  evil  ctTects  of  the 
cold  water." 

On  hoard  the  Ilnnm  the  proc(>edinn  was  carried  out  much 
mor(>  scrupulously.  Descrihins  the  frolic,  Dr.  Luube  writes 
thus : — 

"We  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  fun  willingly,  knowing 
that  our  sailors  were  decent  fellows,  and  would  not  carry  thin;;s 
too  far,  even  had  we  not  entered  on  the  shijj's  hooks  with 
them  in  Rrenian,  and  become  seamen,     (hir  carpenter  went 
alH)ut  the  whole  day  with  a  sly,  lau^ihinji  face,  and  towards 
evening  had  quite  lost    his  usual    chattiness.     We  ourselves 
kept  in  the  cal)in,  so  as  not  to  witness  the  preparati(ms.     At 
midnight  we  were  called  on  (h'ck.     A  gun  was  fired,  and  as  its 
thunder  died  away,  we  heard  the  well-known  cry,  'Ship  ahoy  !' 
Three  wonderful  figtires  climlx-d  over  th.  bowsprit  ;   Neptune 
first,  in  an  Eskimo's  dress,  with  a  great  white  cotton  beard, 
a  seven-pronged  (h)lphin  hari)oon  for  a  trident  in  one  hand, 
and  a  s]ieaking-trumi)et  in  the  other.     A  tarpaulin  was  spread 
on  the  quarter-deck,  and  a  stool  placed  upon  it.     It  looked 
like  a  judge's  bench.     Here  each  of  us  was  seated  with  eyes 
bound,   while  the  masked  followers  of  the  northern   Ruler 
went  through  the  customary  proceedings.     I  was  soaped  and 
.shaved  ;  god  Neptune  was  most  favorable  to  me  ;  he  know.s 


SE<0.\l>   r,A/.'V/.l.V   F.XI'KhinoS' 


271 


what  n 1  ciniirs  arc,  un<l  has  frrcat  rrspcct  for  those  to  whom 

they  hcluiin.  Thcti  caiiic  tlic  (•liri>tcriiiiK.  which  in  this  case 
was  not  apphc  .1  to  the  head  ias  is  iisijal)  but  to  the  throat  and 
>>toinach.  Ncj)tunc  put  some  (luestmns  to  me  through  liis 
speakinjr-trumpct,  desiring  me  to  answer.  I  saw  his  object, 
answered  witli  a  short  'Ves'  and  then  closed  my  hp>.  The 
mischievous  waterfall  ratth-d  over  me,  eausinjj;  universal 
merriment.  They  then  took  the  bandage  from  my  eyes, 
that  I  nuKht  see  my  handsome  face  in  the  j^lass  ;  l)ut  instead  of 
a  lookms  kI:i^s,  it  was  the  combing  of  the  wooden  hatchway, 
which  with  ^leut  gravity  was  held  before  my  face  by  the  bar- 
ber's assistant.  I  was  now  ai>solvd,  and  could  laUKh  with 
th(>  others,  whilst  .seeing  my  comrades  obliged  to  ^o  tlirouKh 
the  same  course  one  after  the  other." 

By  the  (Mh  of  July,  the  expedition  came  in  sifrht  of  the 
island  of  Jan  Mayen.  The  midnight  hours  had  now  become 
IMTceptibly  lighter;  ev(>n  in  the  cabin  a  lamp  was  no  longer 
needed,  and  at  tw(>lve  o'clock  at  night  it  was  possible  to  read 
and  write  without  difficulty.  Fog  and  snow  had  alread\ 
Ix'gun  their  rule  of  terror,  and  Captain  Koldewey  records  three 
hundred  and  sixty-<>ight  hours  of  fog  from  the  10th  of  July 
to  the  1st  of  August. 

The  island  of  Jan  Mayen  lies  in  the  middle  of  the  wide, 
deep  sea  between  Norway  and  Creenland,  Iceland  and  Spitz- 
bergen  ;  and  is  distant  about  sixty  geograjjliical  miles  from 
the  coast  of  Greenland.  It  wa.s  discovered  and  named  after 
11  Dutchman  who  visit(>d  it  in  the  year  Kill.  It  is  nine  miles 
in  length  and  one  mile  in  breadth,  rocky  and  mountainous, 
with  only  two  spots  of  flat  beach  suitable  for  landing-places. 
The  northeast  part  rises  to  a  height  of  six  thousand  eight 
hundred  sixty-three  feet,  in  the  lofty  Reerenberg,  which  has  a 
large  crater.  In  the  year  1732,  Burgomaster  Anderson,  of 
Hamburg,  rejiorted  a  decided  erui)ti()n  from  a  .small  side 
crater,  and  in  1818,  Scoresby  and  another  captain  saw  great 


ft 


i"l 


1-. 


m 


i'^^ 


'i' 


1  ^i 


I-   ! 


272 


TIIK  a  RE  AT   WHITE  >''" 


pillars  of  smoke  rising  from  the  same  plac..'.  Of  this  wonderful 
isolated,  snow-covered  peak,  Lord  Duti'erin,  in  "Letters  from 
High   Latitudes,"   wrote,  — 

"]My  delight  was  of  an  anchorite  catching  a  glimpse  of  the 
seventh  heaven." 

Jan  Mayen  lies  so  near  the  edge  of  the  ice-fields,  that 
from  1012  to  1G40  it  afforded  the  English  and  Dutch  whale- 
fishers  a  comfortable  station  for  their  train-oil  preparation. 
One  ship  is  reported  to  have  brouglit  home  one  hundred  and 
nin(»ty-six  thousand  gallons  of  oil  in  a  single  y<'ar. 

The  ice  line  was  reached  July  15.  "After  a  foggy  day,  a 
light  southerly  breeze  got  up,  the  sails  filled,  the  ship  answered 
the  helm  once  more,  and  we  moved  in  a  north-westerly  course 
between  small  floes  and  brashes.  A  practised  ear  might  now 
notice  a  peculiar  distant  roar,  which  seemed  to  come  nearer 
by  degrees.  It  was  the  sea  singing  against  the  still  hidden 
ice. 

"Nearer  and  nearer  comes  the  rushing  noise.  Every  man 
is  on  deck  ;  when,  as  with  the  touch  of  a  magic  wand,  the  mist 
divides,  and  a  few  hundred  yards  before  us  lies  the  ice,  in  long 
lines  like  a  deep  indented  rocky  coast,  with  walls  glittering 
blue  in  the  sun,  and  the  foaming  of  the  waves  mounting  high, 
with  the  top  covered  with  l)lin(ling  white  snow.  The  eyes  of 
all  rested  with  amazement  on  this  grand  panorama  ;  it  was  a 
glorious  but  serious  moment,  stirred  as  we  were  by  new 
thoughts  and  feelings,  by  hopes  and  doubts,  by  bold  and  far- 
reaching  expectations." 

Up  to  this  time  the  Germania  and  Ilanm  had  stood  well 
togeth(>r  Avith  occasional  separation  in  the  fogs,  and  on  the 
18th  of  July  the  offic(>rs  of  the  two  ships  exchanged  hospital- 
ities. The  next  day.  through  a  fatal  misunderstanding  of 
signals,  tli(>  Ilanm  separated  from  the  Germania,  and  they 
never  met  again. 

On  the  28th  of  July,  the  Hansa  stood  in  72°  50'  north  lati- 


ul 
tn 

le 

at 
e- 
n. 
id 

a 

Hi 

se 
w 

>n 

in 
st 
»g 
ig 
h, 
of 
a 
w 
r- 

>11 
le 
il- 
of 

i- 


li 


i   li''  u 

•   '  J. 


r 


I 

i5 


I    , 


Jan  .Mavkx  Island 


ADRIFT  ON   THE  ICE  FLOE 


27.3 


tudo  and  1G°  54'  west  latitude.  The  dark  rock  coast  of  East 
Greenland  was  visible  for  the  first  time  from  Cape  Broer  Ruys 
to  Cape  James. 

By  sailing,  towing,  and  warping,  the  Ilansn  made  slow 
progress  through  the  ice.  The  captain  and  two  officers  and 
two  sailors  maile  an  attempt  to  land  on  August  24,  but  wen; 
obliged  to  return  to  the  ship  without  having  accomplishetl 
their  mission.  On  the  2oth  of  August  the  Hanm  reached 
within  thirty-five  nautical  miles  of  Sul)ine  Island.  The  ship 
was  continually  subjected  to  dangerous  ice  i)ressure,  and  often 
forced  southward  by  the  drifting  ice-fields.  By  the  0th  of 
September,  she  lay  between  two  promontories  of  a  large  ice- 
field, which  eventually  proved  a  raft  of  deliverance.  By  the 
14th  of  Septemb(>r,  she  was  completely  frozen  up  in  73°  2'). 7' 
north  latitude  and  18°  39.5'  west  latitude.  At  the  mercy  of 
the  drifting  currents,  the  Hanso  stood  in  imminent  peril  of 
total  destruction.  Between  October  5  and  14  the  drift  had 
carried  the  ship  seventy-two  nautical  miles  to  the  south- 
southwest.  The  nights  were  cold,  sometimes  4°  F.  below 
zero.  The  only  sign  of  animal  life  to  l)e  seen  were  ravens, 
wliich  were  doubtless  wintering  on  the  coast;  once  a  gull  and 
a  falcon  made  the  shij)  a  visit.  A  severe  storm  from  the 
north-northwest  on  the  19th  brought  disastrous  pressure  upon 
the  Hanna. 

"Shortly  before  one  o'clock,  the  deck  seams  sprang,  liut 
still  she  seemed  tight.  Mighty  blocks  of  ice  pushed  them- 
selves under  the  bow,  and,  although  they  were  crushixl  by  it, 
they  forced  the  shij)  up  no  less  than  seventeen  feet.  The 
rising  of  the  shij)  was  an  extraordinary  and  awful,  yet  splendid 
spertacl(>.  of  which  the  whole  crew  were  witnesses  from  the 
ice." 

Realizing  the  gravity  of  the  situation,  Captain  Hegemann 
at  once  ordered  clothing,  nautical  instruments,  and  stores 
to  be  removetl  from  the  ship  to  a  safe  tlistance.     The  pumps 


ffi 


r 
pi 


274 


Tilt:  an  HAT    WHITE  NORTH 


I     I. 


..  I 


wore  put  ill  iit'tiun  to  free  her  from  water,  l)ut  to  the  horror 
of  all,  it  was  ihseovered  before  many  liour.s  tliat  the  Ilunsa 
was  (loomed. 

"CaUiily,  though  mueh  moved,  we  faced  this  hard  fact." 

Tliere  was  not  a  minute's  time  to  lose;  while  one-half 
of  the  men  stayed  by  the  pumps,  the  others  were  busily  en- 
gaged bringing  the  most  neccvssary  articles  from  the  vessel 
to  the  floe.  Gradually  the  ship  filled  with  water,  and  by  eight 
in  the  .iKjrning  the  men  who  were  busy  in  the  fore-peak  get- 
ting out  firewood  came  with  anxious  faces  to  say  that  the 
wood  was  already  floating  below.  At  three  o'clock  the  water 
in  the  cabin  had  reached  the  table,  and  all  movable  articles 
were  floating. 

"Round  about  the  ship  lay  a  chaotic  mass  of  heterogeneous 
articles,  and  groups  of  feeble  rats  struggling  with  death,  and 
trembling  with  cold." 

On  the  morning  of  the  21st,  a  last  trip  was  made  to  the 
Hansa  for  fuel  and  her  masts  sacrificed  to  the  stress  of  need. 
She  was  then  cut  away  from  the  ice  that  she  might  not  en- 
danger the  lives  of  those  on  the  floe  when  she  sank. 

The  shipwrecked  crew,  in  the  miserable  shelter  of  the  coal 
house,  settled  themselves  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  their 
frightful  position.  In  the  far  distance  Halloway  Bay  and 
CUasgow  Island  were  ilisiinctly  visible,  but  nowhere  a  way 
through  the  icy  labyrinth.  Slowly,  steadily,  the  ice-field 
drifted  to  the  south.  By  November  3  the  Liverpool  coast  had 
been  passed,  and  the  picturesque  formation  of  the  coast 
surrounding  Scoresby  Sound  was  distinctly  visible. 

The  health  of  the  party  remained  good;  a  monotonous 
routine  of  daily  duties  occupied  officers  and  men.  The  cap- 
tun-  of  a  walrus  and  bear  gave  a  welcome  supply  of  fresh  meat. 
Christmas  was  cheerfully  celebrated  by  these  shipwrecked 
mariners  in  the  coal-hut  on  their  Creenland  floe.  A  tree 
artistically   manufactured  of  pine  wood  and   birch   broom 


WiyiER 


275 


was  gayly  doooratod  with  paper  rings  and  candles,  —  nor  were 
gifts  wanting,  and  finally,  wrote  Dr.  Laulx'  in  his  day-book  :  — 

"In  quii't  devotion  the  festival  passed  by;  the  thoughts 
which  passed  through  our  minds  (they  were  much  alike  with 
all)  I  will  not  put  down.  If  this  should  he  the  last  Christmas 
we  were  to  see,  it  was  at  h^ast  bright  enough.  If,  however, 
we  were  destined  for  a  happy  return  home,  the  next  will  be 
a  brighter  one  ;   may  (Jod  grant  it !" 

The  months  of  January  and  February  were  fraught  with 
many  anxious  hours,  owing  to  the  numerous  and  severe  storms 
which  threatened  destruction  to  the  floe.  The  horrors  of 
such  an  experience  are  vividly  described  as  follows  :  — 

On  the  nth  of  January,  "At  six  in  the  morning.  Hilde- 
lirandt,  who  happened  to  have  the  watch,  burst  in  witli  \\n\ 
alarm,  'AH  hands  turn  out.'  An  indescribable  tumult  was 
heard  without.  With  furs  and  knapsacks  all  rushed  out. 
But  the  outer  entrance  \.-as  snowed  up  ;  so  to  gain  the  outside; 
quickly,  we  broke  through  the  snow-roof  of  the  front  hall. 
The  tumult  of  the  elements  which  met  us  there  was  beyond 
anything  we  had  alreadj  experienced.  Scarcely  able  to  leave 
the  spot,  we  stood  huddi^d  together  for  protection  from  the 
bad  weather.  Suddenly  we  heard,  'Water  on  the  floe  close 
by.'  The  floe  .surrounding  us  split  up;  a  heavy  sea  arose. 
Our  field  began  to  l)reak  on  ail  sides.  On  the  spot  between 
our  house  and  the  piled-up  store  of  wood  which  was  about 
twenty-five  paces  distant,  th(>re  suddenly  opened  a  huge  gap. 
Washed  by  the  pow(>rful  waves,  it  seemed  as  if  the  piece 
just  broken  off  was  about  to  fall  upon  us ;  and  at  the  same 
time  we  felt  the  rising  and  falling  of  our  now  greatly  reduced 
floe.     All  seemed  lost.     From  our  split-up  ice-field  all  the 

raging  sea.  And  in  like  man- 
stnnrck;  even  the  whale- 


finnvood  was  drifting  into  the 

ner  we  had  nearly  lost  our  l)oat 

boat  was  obliged  to  be  brought  for  safety  into  the  middle  of 

the  floe.     The  large  boat,  being  too  heavy  to  handle,  we  were 


k 


M 


'2ii\ 


Til]-:  CREAT    WHITE   NOUTIt 


!.  1 


ohlif^cd  to  fi;ivo  uj)  cntiich'.  All  this  in  a  tomporaturo  of 
—  !U°,  and  a  licavj'  storm,  was  an  arduous  piece  of  work. 
Tlie  coinnuniity  were  divided  into  two  parts.  We  bade  each 
other  };ood-hy  with  a  farewell  shake  of  the  hands,  for  the 
next  moment  we  might  go  down.  Deep  despondency  had 
taken  hold  of  our  scientific  friends  ;  the  crew  were  still  and 
(|uiet.  Thus  we  stood  or  cowered  hy  our  boats  the  whole 
day.  the  fine  j)ricking  snow  jM'netrating  through  the  clothes 
to  the  skin.  It  was  a  miracle  that  just  that  part  of  the  floe 
on  which  we  stood  should  from  its  soundness  keep  together. 
Our  floe,  now  only  loO  feet  in  diameter,  was  the  3o  to  40  feet 
luiclcus  of  the  formerly  extensive  field  to  which  we  had  en- 
trusted our  preservation.  Towards  evening  the  mas.ses  of 
ice  lu'came  closely  packed  again.  At  the  same  time  the  heavy 
sea  had  subsided  and  innnediate  danger  .seemed  past.  Re- 
lieved, we  partook  of  something  in  the  house  and  lay  down, 
after  setting  a  good  watch.  It  was  past  midnight,  when  we 
were  roused  from  our  sleep  by  the  i'vy  of  terror ;  the  voice  of 
the  sailor  on  watch,  exclaiming,  'Turn  out,  we  are  drifting 
on  to  a  high  iceberg  !'  All  rushed  to  the  entrance;  dressed 
as  we  always  were  ;  we  had  no  time  to  run  through  the  long 
snow  passage,  but  burst  open  the  roof,  climbed  on  to  the  door 
and  so  out.  What  a  sight  !  Close  upon  us,  as  if  hanging 
o\(T  our  heads,  towered  a  huge  mass  of  ice,  of  giant  propor- 
tions. *It  is  past,'  said  the  captain.  Was  it  really  an  ice- 
berg, or  the  mirage  of  one,  or  the  high  coast  ?  We  could  not 
decide  the  question.  Owing  to  the  swiftness  of  the  drift, 
tlie  ghastly  object  had  disappeared  the  next  moment." 

.\gain  on  \\w  evening  of  th(>  14th  a  frightful  storm  raged, 
wiiich  set  the  ice  once  more  in  motion. 

"In  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  house,  our  floe 
burst  ;  and  the  broken  ice  flew  high  around  us.  It  was  high 
time  to  l)ring  the  })oat  Bismarck  and  the  whale-l)oat  more  into 
the  mitldle.     This  we  did  ;    but  they  were  far  too  heavily 


WINTER 


277 


hiden  to  hriiiK  fuithor.  On  this  account,  furs,  sacks  of  bread, 
and  dotliinj;  wcri'  taken  out  and  packed  on  two  sledges,  which 
were,  however,  soon  eoinph'teiy  snowed  uj).  Ail  our  lal)our 
was  rendered  heavier  !)y  the  storm,  which  made  it  almost 
impossible  to  breatlie.  About  eleven,  we  experienced  a 
sudden  fissure  which  threatened  to  tear  our  house  asunder; 
with  a  thunderiuff  noise  an  event  took  i)lace,  the  consetiuences 
of  which,  in  the  first  moments,  deranged  all  calculations. 
Ciod  only  knows  how  it  hai)pened  that,  in  our  fliglit  into  the 
open,  none  came  to  harm.  But  ther(>  in  the  most  fearful 
weather  we  all  stood  roofless  on  the  ice,  waiting  fordaylij;ht, 
which  was  still  tei\  hours  off.  The  boat  Kimj  M'illiam 
lay  on  the  edge  of  tlie  floe,  and  miglit  have  floated  away  at 
any  moment.  Fortunately  the  fissure  did  ncjt  get  larger. 
As  it  was  somewhat  (luieter  at  midnight,  most  of  the  men 
crept  into  the  Captain's  boat,  when  the  thickest  sail  we  had 
was  drawn  over  them  ;  some  took  refuge  in  the  house.  But 
there,  as  the  door  had  fallen  in.  they  entered  by  the  skylight, 
and  in  the  hurry  broke  the  pan(>s  of  glass,  so  tliat  it  was  soon 
full  of  snow.  This  night  was  the  most  dreadful  one  of  our 
adventurou.s  voyag(>  on  the  floe." 

For  five  nights  the  men  slej)!  in  the  boats;  the  days  were 
employed  in  raising  their  settlement  from  its  ruins.  A 
wooden  kitchen  was  built  and  a  dwelling  house,  exactly  like 
the  one  destroyed,  but  half  as  large  (14  feet  long  by  10  broail 
and  1'  high  in  t'le  middle). 

In  spite  of  such  frightful  experiences,  the  men  kept  cheerful, 
undaunted,  and  exalted ;  in  fact,  the  cook  kept  a  right  seaman- 
like humour,  having  exclaimed  while  n^pairing  the  coffee 
kettle,  during  the  frightful  pressure  of  the  ice  which  tlestroyed 
the  floe,  "if  the  floe  would  only  hokl  together  until  he  had 
finished  his  kettle  !  he  wished  so  to  make  the  evening  tea  in 
it,  so  that,  before  our  departure^  we  might  have  something 
warm." 


I. 

If 


278 


Tin:  uREAT  WHITE  y  OUT  1 1 


r ! 


ii 


t 

3 

!5 


I.  I 


I'Vhniiuy  uiid  Miircli  fouiiii  them  lulplcssly  drifting  to  the 
s(mth\v:n(l,  iuid  l)y  Kustcr  (17th  of  Ai)ril)  they  lay  Houtiiig 
backwards  and  forwards  in  the  Hay  of  I'nharbik.  Linnets 
and  siu)w-l)untiii}is  soon  uvmU'  tlicir  appearand',  so  fearless 
and  confiding  that,  "Some  of  them,"  so  says  Hade's  day-hook, 
"will  almost  perch  upon  our  noses,  and  in  five  minutes  al- 
lowed themselves  to  he  caught  three  times." 

On  the  7th  of  May  the  agreeable  sight  of  open  water  in 
the  direction  of  land  che<'re<l  both  officers  and  men.  The 
cai)tain  now  decided  that  an  attempt  would  be  made  to  leave 
the  Hoe  and  reach  the  coast.  The  little  connnunity,  divided 
amid  three  boats,  bade  farewell  to  the  ice-floe  which  had  been 
their  home  for  two  hundred  ilays. 

During  several  days  of  bad  weather,  small  progress  was 
made.  The  men  suffered  considerably  from  exhaustion, 
snow-blindness,  and  want  of  proper  shelter  and  food  —  the 
latter  problem  was  occasioning  considerable  concern,  and 
already  the  men  were  "almost  looking  their  eyes  out  after  a 
seal."  There  was  but  six  weeks'  short  provisions  on  hand 
anil  a  long  distance  to  travel  over  a  barren  and  uninhabited 
coast  before  the  settlement  could  be  reached. 

The  ice  remaining  unnavigable,  it  was  decided  to  make  the 
island  of  Illuidlek,  dragging  the  heavy  boat-loads  over  the 
all  but  imi)assal)le  ice  hunnnocks. 

Hy  the  24th  of  May,  Mr.  Hildel)ran(lt  and  the  sailors 
Philipp  and  Paul,  set  foot  on  firm  ground.  Tlieir  encourag- 
ing rejiort  cheered  the  others  to  similar  exertions,  but  the 
progress  was  slow  and  exhausting.  Not  until  the  4th  of  June 
were  the  entire  party  landed  at  Ill-jidlek.  The  island  proved 
of  rocky  formation,  naked,  and  bare  of  vegetation. 

"Everywhere  we  find  nothing,"  writes  one  of  the  party, 
"but  bare  barren  cliffs,  the  higher  the  wilder,  sparingly  clothed 
with  moss  and  stunted  willows.  But  no  trace  of  human  in- 
habitants." 


"  GERMANIA       BESET 


279 


Two  clays  later  (June  U)  they  started  once  more;  their 
object  was  to  make  for  Friedricksthal,  the  nearest  colony  on 
the  southwest  coast  of  Greenland.  On  June  13,  1870,  after 
passing  through  the  Straits  of  Torsudatik,  and  skirting  the 
coast,  the  longed-for  bay  was  reached.  "A  few  hundred 
steps  from  the  shore  on  the  green  grountl,  stood  a  rather 
spacious  red  house,  topj)ed  by  a  small  tower.  It  was  the  mis- 
sion house,  (iroui)s  of  natives  from  the  .shore  .sjjeedily 
welcomed  the  wanderers  and  the  cheerful  greeting  of  the 
Moravian  missionaries:  'That  is  the  (German  flag!  They 
are  our  people  !  Welcome,  welcome  to  (Ireenland  !'  fell  like 
nmsic  in  their  ears.  After  partaking  of  the  generous  hospital- 
ity extended  by  the  missionaries,  and  taking  a  much-needed 
rest,  they  pushed  on  in  the  hopes  of  reaching  the  .settlement 
of  Julianeshaab,  distant  some  eighty  miles,  where  the  Danish 
Constance  was  expected  at  any  moment,  and  would  be  their 
only  means  of  reaching  Europe  that  year." 

By  the  25th  of  July,  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  Hansn 
weighed  anchor  for  the  homeward  voyage.  By  the  31st  of 
Jul}'  they  were  on  the  high  sea  in  Davis  Strait.  "No  more 
ice  !  Set  southwards,  and  —  O  heavenly  music  of  the  word 
—  homewards !" 

It  will  be  remembered  that  on  July  20, 1809,  the  two  ships 
had  parted  company,  the  Germnnin  proceeding  on  her  course 
with  officers  and  crew,  under  the  impression  that  the  Hunsa 
wovdd  rejoin  her  within  a  short  time.  When  this  did  not 
take  place,  much  concern  was  f(>lt  for  her  fate.  By  the  27th 
of  July.  ihoCcrnianin  stood  73°  7'  north  latitude,  and  10°  4' 
west  longitude.  Two  days  later  an  interesting  note  is  made 
of  the  peculiar  condition  of  the  atmosphere. 

"The  weather  was  clear  and  still,  and  we  had  a  good  oppor- 
tunity of  observing  the  refraction  of  light  and  the  mirage. 
The  whole  atmosphere  was  (juivering  with  a  kind  of  wavy 
moti(ai,  so  that  the  exact  outline  of  the  object  was  often  so 


1.1 
■(  I' 


n 


fi: 


^ 


ill 


•JSO 


rilh:  (iHHAT    WIIITK  yoUTIl 


III  ^' 

J)  I  »• 


distorted  ;is  to  lu-  iinrt'cojinizahlc.  It  iiiiiy  Ih>  imaKiticd  that 
pictures  of  tilings  far  l)eyoiid  our  niujie  of  >if;lit  could  tiius  l)c 
seen.  Score>l»y  relates,  and  it  afterwards  proved  true,  that 
he  once  saw  aiul  recognized  his  fatlier's  ship  perfectly  in  the 
niira};e  when  it  was  thirty  miles  distant.  The  elTects  of  this 
l)henonienon  on  the  distant  ice  was  wonderful ;  sometimes 
it  appeared  like  a  mighty  wall,  and  sometimes  like  a  town 
rich  in  toweis  and  castles." 

Carefully  pushinf?  a  way  between  the  floes,  the  (lennniti<i 
stood  within  thirty  miles  of  Sal»ine  Island  l)y  August  4.  Sail- 
iufj;  straight  for  (Iriper  Hoads,  she  at  last  ancliored  in  a  small 
hay  which  was  afterward  her  winter  harbour. 

On  the  ')th  of  .Vu^ust,  anchor  was  dropped,  and  the  (Jerman 
flaf>:  hoisted  on  (iricnland  soil,  amid  loud  cheers.  Sal>ine 
IsUukI  forms  a  part  of  the  j!;roup  known  as  Pendidum  Islands, 
discoviTcd  by  Claveriny;  in  IS2:J.  Sabine's  observatory 
was  carefully  searched  for,  but  no  indications  of  its  remains 
were  found.  Traces  »)f  Eskimo  summer  huts  were  discovered, 
however,  giving;  evidence  of  lonj?  habitation. 

On  the  l.")th  of  .\uj;ust.  the  (Icnnnnia  sailed  as  far  as  7')° 
;il'  north  latitude,  some  distance  beyond  Shannon  Island, 
the  extreme  point  discovered  by  (Maverins  and  Sabine.  .\t 
Shannon  Island,  First  Lieutenant  Payer,  accompanied  by 
seven  companions,  and  provisionecl  for  six  days,  made  a  try 
of  invest  illation.  Lieutenant  Payer's  description  of  the  jWa- 
teau  to  the  .soutliwest  of  Shaimon  is  interest in<?.  Tell-platte, 
as  it  is  caUed,  is  six  hundred  and  seventy  feet  above  the  sea. 
"II(>re  on  the  l)road  mountain  top  were  masses  of  rubbish  of 
{iueiss  formation  resembliiifi;  those  on  Pendulum  Island.  We 
were  also  astonished  l)y  the  si«:;ht  of  a  large  flat  promontory 
(south  of  Haystack)  whicli  is  not  distinctly  marked  on  Clav- 
eriuK's  charts.  The  view  of  the  front  coast  of  Oreenland  was 
full  of  majestic  beauty." 

Having  taken  u[)  winter  (luartirs  at  Sabiiu  I.sland,  Septom- 


wiy'iKii 


281 


Ikt  \:i,  (uptaiu  K(»lilc\v>  y  timl  LicuttMuiiit  Payer  undertook 
ii  slnluc  jouriu'y  to  Fl(  ;fly  Fiord.  Tlicy  rrtunicd  to  the  ship 
S(])tcinl)('r  21,  alter  im  uhsence  of  >eveii  days,  liaviuj?  travelled 
i:i3.',  miles.  The  loii^  winter  j)"^sed  in  the  usnal  monotonous 
fashion,  and  in  i)reparation  for  the  spring  sledjrc  journey.-.  A 
thrillinR  ineident,  however,  occurred  early  in  March,  which  is 
almost  unprecedented  in  .\rctic  adventure. 

"We  were  sitting,"  writes  Lieutenant  Payer,  "fortunately 
silent  in  the  cabin,  wl-ii  Koldewey  suddenly  lieard  a  faint  cry 
for  lielp.  We  all  huri.fdly  tumbled  up  the  companion-la  Ider 
to  the  deck,  when  an  exclamation  from  Borden,  'A  bear  is 
carrying  me  off  I'  struck  painfully  on  our  ears.  It  was  dark  ; 
we  could  scaiich'  see  anything,  but  we  made  directly  for  the 
quarter  when('  the  cry  proceeded,  armed  with  poles,  weapons, 
etc.,  over  hummocks  and  drifts,  when  an  alarm-shot,  which 
we  fired  in  the  air,  .seemed  to  make  some  little  impression,  as 
the  bear  dropped  his  prey,  and  ran  forward  a  few  i)aces.  He 
turned  again,  however,  dragging  his  victim  over  the  broken 
shore-ice,  close  to  a  field  which  stretched  in  a  southerly  direc- 
tion. All  depended  upon  our  coming  up  with  him  b*  fore  ho 
should  r(>ach  this  field,  as  he  would  carry  his  prey  over  the 
open  plain  with  the  speed  of  a  horse,  and  thus  e-cape.  We 
succeeded.  The  bear  turned  upon  us  for  a  moineii  and  then, 
scared  by  our  continuous  fire,  let  fall  his  prey.  We  lifted 
our  poor  comrade  up  on  to  th  >  ic(>,  to  bear  him  to  his  cabin,  — 
a  task  which  was  renderetl  somc'what  difficult  by  the  slippery 
and  uneven  surface  of  the  ice.  But  after  we  had  gone  a  little 
way,  Borgen  implored  us  to  mak(>  as  much  haste  as  possil)le. 
()t\  procuring  a  light,  the  coldest  nature  would  have  been 
shocked  at  the  spcM-tade  which  poor  Borgen  ])resented.  The 
bear  had  torn  his  scalp  in  several  places,  and  he  had  received 
injuries  in  other  parts  of  his  body.  His  clothes  and  liair  were 
saturated  with  blood.  We  improvised  a  com  li  for  hin\  in  the 
rear  of  our  cabin,  as  his  uwii  was  not  large  eno'i-h.     Tb.e  first 


1 


i  l 


» 1 


M 

\  i 


I 


n 

lit 


i  - 


"■J 


y///';  CREAT   WHITE   Miinil 


oiMTiitittn  was  pcrfoniifd  upon  liim  dii  tlu'  ciiluu  table.  Ami 
here  we  may  hiiclly  notice  tlic  siiimilar  fact  that,  ultliouKli  ho 
ha<l  Imm'U  carried  more  than  KM)  paces  with  his  sk\ill  ahnost 
hiid  hare,  at  a  temperature  of  —  lii^  Fahrenheit,  his  scalp  lieuh-il 
so  iM'rfectly  that  not  a  single  j)ortion  was  missing." 

Horjien  describes  the  sudden  attack  of  the  liear  as  follows  : 
"About  a  (juarter  before  nine  P.M.  I  had  gone  out  to  ol)serv(! 
tlie  occultation  of  a  star,  wliich  was  to  take  place  about  that, 
time,  and  also  to  take  the  meteorological  readings.  As  I 
was  in  the  act  of  getting  on  shore,  Captain  Koldewey  came 
(til  to  the  ice.  We  >poke  for  a  few  moments,  when  I  went  on 
shore,  while  lie  returned  to  the  cabin.  On  my  return  from 
the  observatory,  ab(>ut  fifty  steps  from  the  vessel.  I  heard 
a  rustling  noise  to  the  left,  and  became  aware  of  the  pro.xiinity 
of  a  bear.  There  was  no  time  to  think,  or  use  my  gun.  The 
grip  was  so  sudden  and  rapid,  tliat  I  am  unable  to  say  how  it 
was  done ;  whether  the  b(>ar  rose  and  struck  me  down  with 
his  fore-paws,  or  whether  he  ran  me  down.  Hut  from  the 
character  of  tlu*  injuries  I  have  received  (contusions  and  a 
deep  cut  on  the  left  ear),  I  conclude  that  the  former  must 
have  l)e(>n  the  ca.se.  The  next  thing  I  felt  was  the  tearing  of 
my  scalp,  which  was  only  protected  by  a  skull  caji.  This  is 
their  mode  of  attacking  seals,  but,  owing  to  the  slipperiness  of 
their  skulls,  the  teeth  glide  off.  The  cry  for  help  which  I 
uttered  frightened  the  animal  for  a  moment;  but  he  turned 
again  and  bit  nie  several  times  on  the  head.  The  alarm  had 
meanwhile  been  heard  by  the  Captain,  who  luul  not  yet 
readied  the  cabin.  He  hurried  on  deck,  convinced  himself 
that  it  was  really  an  alarm,  roused  up  the  crew  and  hastened 
on  to  the  ice,  bringing  assistance  to  his  struggling  comrade. 
The  noise  evidently  frightened  the  bear,  and  he  trotted  off 
with  liis  i)rey,  which  he  draggetl  by  the  head.  A  shot  fired 
to  friglit(>n  the  creature  effected  its  pur])ose,  inasmuch  as  ho 
druppetl  nic,  and  .sprang  a   few  steps   aside ;    but  he  iuunc- 


Lli:rr.    I'AYKHH   ItKMArtKAItLK  JOL'UXKY 


28."] 


(liutcly  seized  me  l>y  theHriii,  :uul,  his  liolil  provinu  insufficient, 
lie  seized  nie  hy  tlie  rijflit  IuiikI,  oh  tthicli  was  ;i  t'ur  ^iove, 
and  this  Kave  the  pursuers  time  to  come  up  with  the  hrute, 
which  liud  liy  its  j^rcat  speed  left  them  far  hehind.  Ih;  was 
now  making  for  the  shore,  and  would  certaiidy  have  escaped 
with  his  prey,  had  he  succeeded  in  climhinK  the  hank.  How- 
ever, as  he  came  to  the  edge  of  the  ice,  he  turned  along  the 
coast  si(h',  continuing  on  the  rough  and  broken  ice,  which 
greatly  retarde<l  his  speed,  and  thus  allowed  his  pursu<'rs 
vipon  the  ice  to  gain  rapidly  upon  iiim.  After  being  dragged 
in  this  way  f«)r  about  3(K)  paces,  almost  strangled  by  my 
shawl,  which  the  l)ear  had  seized  at  the  same  time,  hi;  dropj)ed 
me,  and  immediately  afterwards  Koldewey  was  betiding  over 
me,  with  the  words  'Thank  (lod  !  he  is  still  alive.'  The  bear 
(stood  a  few  paces  on  on«>  side  evidently  undecided  what  course 
to  pursue,  until  a  bullet  gave  him  a  liint  that  it  was  high  time 
to  take  himself  ofT." 

Preparations  having  been  completed  for  an  extended  sledge 
journey  to  examine  the  bays  and  inlets  of  the  maiidand,  the 
party  started  March  H,  1870,  and  were  al)sent  until  April  27 
after  twenty-three  days  of  most  arduous  labours.  Lieutenant 
Pay<'r  had  the  satisfaction  of  reaching  77°  1'  north  latitude, 
at  that  time  the  most  northerly  point  ever  reached  on  the  oast 
coast  of  (Ireeulaiul.  From  an  elevated  sight  the  sea  appearetl 
covered  with  an  unbroken  field  of  hummocks,  and  land  was 
seen  to  stretch  out  in  a  northerly  direction  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach. 

Other  journeys  which  followed  at  close  intervals  greatly 
added  to  the  geographical  knowledge  of  the  coast.  On  the 
return  from  onettf  these,  they  discovered  (0th  of  August)  the 
entrance  to  a  magnificent  fiord  to  the  south  of  Cape  Franklin 
(73°  10'  north  latitutle),  into  which  they  penetrated  to  a  dis- 
tance of  seventy-two  nautical  miles.  As  they  advanced 
into  tlie  interior,  a  decided  change  in  the  temperature  was 


il 


;ti  *i 


'  I 


I'T- 


'J 

i 

3 


r 


JS4 


TUh:  a  HEAT  white  south 


noticed,  the  iitmosplicrc  and  \vut<T  iM'canic  wanner,  and  herds 
(if  reindeer  and  musk-oxen  were  seen;  l)Utterflies,  liees,  and 
other  inseets  thittered  over  the  H'cen  earth.  Nothing  could 
exceed  the  t!;randeur  of  tlie  scenery. 

"  Numerous  nhicit-rs  an<l  cascach's  descended  from  the  v  mn- 
tains,  whicli  rose  hij^lier  and  higher  as  tliey  advanced  towards 
the  west.  Lieutenant  Payer  and  Doctor  ( 'opehind  having 
diinhetl  a  peak  7(MM)  feet  liigh  saw  the  fiord  still  branching  out 
in  the  distance,  and  towards  the  west  a  remote  chain  of 
mountains,  situated  altout  \\2°  W.  long.,  rising  to  an  altitude 
of  at  least  14,()(){)  ft-et,  terminated  the  magnificent  prospect. 
The  interior  of  (Jreenland  thus  proved  itself  to  l)e  not  a  mere 
naked  i)lateau  covered  with  jMTpetual  ice-fiehls,  hut  in  some 
parts  at  least  a  country  of  Alpine  grandeur." 

On  the  24th  of  .\ugust,  the  (Icrmania  steered  her  course 
for  home  ;  as  the  ship  cleared  the  last  of  the  (Ireenland  ice, 
Captain  Koldewey  (luoted  the  words  of  old  Scoreshy  under 
similar  conditions.  "My  watdi  is  over!"  he  used  to  say  — 
and  turning  to  Mr.  Sengstache,  Captain  Koldewey  exclaimed, 
'•My  watch  is  over!"  and  retired  to  his  cabin  with  a  feeling 
of  security  that  he  had  not  enjoyed  for  many  a  day. 

Pursuing  a  course  past  Iceland  between  the  Faroe  and 
Shetland  isles,  they  stood  olT  Heligoland,  Sejjtember  10. 
".\t  daybreak,  though  we  had  se(>n  no  pilot,  we  recognized 
Wangerooge,  and  steered  along  the  South  wall  to  the  mouth 
of  the  W(>ser.  No  sign  of  a  ship  !  The  Weser  seemed  to  have 
died  out.  Where  are  the  pilots  hidden?  Are  they  lying 
pmln  on  accoimt  of  yesterday's  storm  ?  Well,  then,  we  must 
run  into  the  Weser  without  them,  the  wind  is  favorable,  the; 
weather  clear,  the  outer  l)Uoy  will  l)e  easy  to  find  ;  there  is  the 
cluireh-tower  of  Wangerooge.  Suspecting  nothing,  we  steered 
on;  tlu.'  tower  liears  south-southwest,  southwest  by  south, 
southwest,  but  no  buoy  in  sight.  The  Captain  and  steersman 
look  at  each  other  in  astonishment.     Can  we  liave  been  so 


UETrny  of  tiik  "■  gehmama 


285 


mistaken  a'  '  out  of  our  reckoning?  Hut,  no!  That  is 
certainly  W.  "rooge  ;  the  deptii  of  water  agrees,  our  com- 
pass is  corn  No  doubt  about  it,  we  are  in  tiie  VVeser ; 
something  unusual  nuist  have  hapi)ene(l !  Still  no  sail  in 
sight!  Hut  what  is  that  ?  Yonder  are  the  roads.  There  are 
several  large  vessels  under  steam  ;  they  at  least  can  give  us 
some  information.  So  we  mak(;  for  tlu'm.  We  saluted  the 
(Jerman  flag,  and  soon  the  cry  was  heard,  'War,  war  with 
France;  Napoleon  a  prisoner!  P' ranee  has  declared  a  Re- 
l)ublic  ;  our  armies  are  before  Paris  ! '  And  then,  '  Haiisa 
destroyed  in  the  ice,  crew  saved.'  We  thought  we  were 
dreaming,  and  stood  stiff  \\ith  astonishment  at  such  grand 
and  heart-stirring  news.  Not  until  a  loud  hurrah  for  King 
William  sounded  from  a  hundred  (Jerman  throats  did  we  re- 
gain our  speech,  and  answer  with  another  '  Hurrah  i '  ' 


I 


'1* 


'!     il 


, 


I  . 


CHAPTER  XV 

Austrian  oxpo.lition,  1871.  -  Payer  and  Woyprocht. -The  Tcgdl- 
lu.ff  a.irift  in  the  Polar  pack.  -  Discovery  of  l<ranz  Josef 
land  —Paver's  sledne  journeys. —Payer's  farthest  82  o 
north  latitu;ie.-Cai.e  nicely.-  Aluuulonnienl  of  the  7'.r»- 
/,„jf.- lietreat  of  oiiieer.s  and  crew.  —  Pieked  up  by  Russian 
fishermen.  -     ''  Home." 

H.\vi\(;  giiined  nmeli  distiiu-tion  for  his  vulual.lc  services 
in  the  sci-ond  ('.eiinan  oxp<«diti()n,  Lieutenant  Payer  was  re- 
solved to  eontinue  in  the  patli  of  polar  di.scovery.  The  fol- 
lowinji  year,  in  eonipany  with  liis  colh^a^iu'  and  fn<-nd,  Lieu- 
tenanT '  Wevpreelit  of  the  Austrian-Hungarian  Navy,  he 
f<,uipped  tlie  Xorwefrian  schooner  Ishjorn  and  e.xaniined  the 
(Ml.re  of  tlie  ice  between  Si)itzl)ers<'n  and  Nova  Zenihla, 
reaching  7.S°  i-V  north  latitu.h>,  and  42°  30'  east  longitu(U>,  on 
the  1st  of  Septeinher,  ISTl. 

The  zealous  endeavours  of  Payer  an.l  W.>yprecht  sucrechMl 
in  eallin-  into  existence'  a  still  larg.T  Austrian  expclitum  in 
1S72.  Their  plan  was  to  select  a  rout(>  l.y  the  north  end  of 
Nova  Zenihla  with  a  view  to  making  the  Northeast  Passage. 
'•Weyprecht  was  to  command  the  shi]!.  TiWllholJ,  wlnle 
Lieuten'ant  Paver  was  to  conduct  the  sledge  parties.  Th.; 
Tiqdlhnir  sailed  from  Hremerhaven  .Iun(>  Ki  1S72.  bearing 
in  her  cours(>  to  Tromso(^  Her  e(|uipment  was  liberal  and 
carefullv  sel(>cted,  th<"  total  expense  of  tlie  expedition  amount- 
ing to  "t:iS,:i:i:i.     The  offices  and  crew  numbennl  twenty- 

'"''l)'elayed  by  storms  ani.mg  the  LolToden  Ish's,  they  did  not 

•jsti 


Al'STlilAN  AHL'TIV    VOYAGES 


•J87 


reach  Tronisoe  until  July  3.  Ten  days  later  the  Tajetlhi»jJ 
turned  her  pnnv  to  the  north  ;  the  NorwcKiun  eoast  with  its 
many  j^laciers  was  iji  full  view  on  July  10,  North  Cape  loomed 
in  the  blue  distanee.  By  July  2o,  while  in  lat.  74°  0'  l.j"  X., 
the  ice  was  sighted  ;  proceeding  with  careful  navigation 
through  opens  in  the  frozen  ocean,  the  ship  moved  in  her 
course  until  the  end  of  August,  when  she  became  beset  near 
Cape  Nassau,  at  the  northern  end  of  Nova  Zembla,  having 
just  parted  with  the  hbjorn  near  liarentz  Isle,  where  Count 
VVilczek  was  placing  supplies  for  their  possible  retreat." 

"Ominous  were  the  events  of  that  day,"  writes  Payer, 
"for  immediately  after  we  had  made  fast  the  Teydlhojjf  to 
that  fk)i',  the  ice  closed  in  upon  us  from  all  sides  and  we  became 
close  prisoners  in  its  grasp.  No  water  was  to  be  seen  around 
us,  and  never  tujuin  were  ire  destined  to  see  our  irssel  '-n  wtiter. 
Happy  is  it  for  men  that  inextinguishable  hope  enables  them 
to  endure  all  the  vicissitu(h's  of  fate,  which  are  to  test  their 
powers  of  endurance,  and  that  they  can  never  see,  at  a  glance, 
the  long  series  of  disappointments  in  store  for  them!  We 
must  have  been  filled  with  desjjair,  had  we  known  that  even- 
ing that  we  were  henc(>forward  dt)omed  to  oI)ey  the  caprices  of 
the  ice,  that  the  shiji  would  never  again  float  on  the  waters  of 
the  sea,  that  all  the  exjjectations  with  which  our  friends,  but 
a  few  hours  before,  saw  the  Teyettliojf  ateixui  away  to  the  north, 
were  now  erushi'd  ;  that  we  were  in  fact  no  longer  discoverers, 
but  passengers  against  our  will  on  the  ice.  From  day  to  day, 
we  hoped  for  the  liour  of  our  deliverance!  A\  first  we  ex- 
pected it  hourly,  then  daily,  then  from  w^eek  to  week  ;  tlun 
at  the  seasons  of  the  year  and  changes  of  the  weather,  then  in 
the  chances  of  new  years  !  Hut  thid  hour  never  conw,  yet  the 
light  of  hope,  which  supports  man  in  all  his  sutTering,  and  raises 
him  above  them  all.  never  forsook  us,  amid  all  the  depressing 
influence  of  exi)ectations  cherisheil  oidy  to  be  disappointed." 

To  reach  the  coast  of  Siberia  under  tliese  circumstances 


,';     i  I 


i  1 


J, 
4 


2^b 


THE  a  HEAT  white  south 


had  become  an  iini)«>ssil.ility.  and  oven  in  case  the  ship  became 
Ubi-ratcd,  the  searcli  for  a  winter  harbour  in  Nova  Zembla 
would  be  a  matter  of  peril  and  difticulty. 

Driftinf^,  not  with  the  current,  but  in  the  direction  of  the 
prevailing  wind,  the  land  of  Nova  Zembla  nreded  until  it 
faded  out  of  si^ht  and  only  a  desert  of  ice  surrounded  them. 
The  frifihtful  ice  convulsions  which  freciuently  threatened 
their  destruction,  determined  the  men  to  buikl  a  house  on  the 
main  tloe,  wluMv  supplies  of  coal,  fuel,  and  provisions  were 
stored.  Lieutenant  I'aycr  conmients  on  the  terrible  condi- 
tions under  which  they  (>xisted. 

"One  of  us,  to-('ay,  remarked  very  truly,  that  he  saw  per- 
fectly well  how  one  mii^ht  lose  his  reason  with  the  continuance 
of  these  suilden  and  incessant  assaults.     It  is  not  dangers  that 
we  fear,  but  worse  far;    we  are  kept  in  a  constant  state  of 
readiness  to  inei-t  destruction,  and  know  not  whether  it  will 
come  to-dav  or  to-morn.w,  or  in  a  year.     Every  night  we  are 
startU-d  out  of  sle(-p,  and,  like  hunted  animals,  up  we  sprinR 
to  await  amid  an  awful  darkness,  the  end  of  an  enterpn.se 
from  which  all  hope  of  success  has  departed.     It  becomes  at 
lust  a  mere  mechanical  pnxrss  to  seize  our  rifles  and  our  bag 
of  necessaries  and  rush  on  d.'ck.     In  the  daytime,  k^aning  over 
the  bulwarks  of  the  ship,  which  trembles,  yea,  almost  (juivers 
the  while,  we  look  out  on  a  continual  work  of  d(>struction  going 
on   and  at  night,  as  we  listen  to  the  loud  and  (>ver-increasing 
noi.ses  of  the  i.-e,  we  gather  that  the  forces  of  our  en(-my  are 

increasing." 

The  hours  of  these  dark  and  disheartening  days  were  passed 
in  taking  observations,  (>xercise,  and  occasional  bear  and 
fledge  journevs.  In  si)ite  of  this  the  time  crept  away  with 
indescribable'monotony.  During  February  the  ship  drifted 
first  northwest  an.l  then  north,  the  greatest  longitude  attainetl 
])<«ing  71°  K..  in  T<.>°  \.  ;  and  the  summer  of  1873  advanced 
without  any  signs  of  freeing  them. 


I 


4i 


'I 


l-'ni/ii  "  Till    Vminiii   III  till    Vuiu,"  Miiiiiiilliiii  <V'  ('".,  I.lil..  Lunilnii 
A.    I).   .\()Ui)i;\sKji)l.l) 


lit- 

:5 


1 


i' 


:!( 


:_»l,i 


DISCOVERY  OF  FliAyZ  JOSEF  LAND 


2H9 


With  Slid  rcsipiation  the  officers  and  crow  looked  forward 
to  passiiif;  another  winter  in  the  iee,  although  ph-nty  of  birds, 
seal,  and  hears  insured  them  fresh  meat,  so  essential  for  the 
preservation  of  healtli  in  hinh  latitudes. 

"A  memorahie  day,"  writes  Payer,  "was  the  31st  of  August, 
1873,  in  7»)°  13'  Lat.,  and  0'.)°  33'  E.  Long.  That  day  hrought 
a  surprise,  sucii  as  only  the  awakeninj?  to  a  new  life  can  pro- 
duce. .Vhout  midday,  as  we  were  h'aninj?  on  the  bulwarks 
of  the  ship  and  seanniuf;  the  j^liding  mists,  through  which  the 
rays  of  the  sun  broke  ever  and  anon,  a  wall  of  mist,  lifting  it- 
self up  suddenly,  reveale(l  to  us,  afar  off  in  the  northwest, 
the  outlines  of  Ixdd  rocks,  which  in  a  few  minutes  seemed 
to  grow  into  a  radiant  .\lpine  land  !  At  first  Ave  all  stood 
transfixed  and  hardly  Ix-lieving  what  we  .saw.  Then,  carriecl 
away  by  the  reality  of  »)ur  good  fortune,  we  burst  forth  into 
shouts  of  joy  —  'Land,  land,  land  at  last !'  There  was  now 
not  a  sick  man  on  board  the  Tvijdlhoff.  The  news  of  the 
discovery  spread  in  an  instant.  Kv(>ry  one  ru.shed  on  deck, 
to  convince  himself  with  his  own  eyes,  that  the  expedition 
was  not  after  all  a  failure, —  there  lu'fore  us  lay  the  prize 
that  could  not  be  snatched  from  us.  Yet  not  by  our  own 
action,  but  through  the  happy  caprice  of  our  floe  and  as  in  a 
dream  had  we  won  it,  but  when  we  thought  of  the  floe,  drifting 
without  intermission,  we  felt  with  redoubled  pain,  that  we 
were  at  the  mercy  of  its  movements.  .\s  yet  we  had  .secured 
no  wint<'r  harbour,  from  which  the  exploration  of  the  strange 
land  could  bo  successfully  undertaken.  For  the  present,  too, 
it  was  not  within  the  verge  of  p()ssil)ility  to  reach  and  vi.sit  it. 
If  wo  had  left  our  floe,  W(>  sliould  have  been  cut  ofT  and  lost. 
It  was  only  under  the  influence  of  the  first  excitement  that  we 
made  a  rush  over  our  ice-field,  although  we  knew  that  number- 
less fissures  made  it  imj^ossible  to  reach  the  land.  But, 
difficulties  notwirhstandiiig,  when  we  ran  to  the  edge  of  our 
floe,  wo  beheld  from  a  ridge  of  ice  the  mountains  and  glaciers 


'1   \ 


J   % 


%    > 


I 

I       i 


, 


■        ( 


lino 


TiiH  <n:t:M   wimt:  sohth 


1-  ± 


li 

(1:3 
1.11 


\ 

2 


<tf  the  iiiyslcrit)us  hind.  Its  valleys  sccnicd  to  our  fond  iinajji- 
luitioii  clotlu'd  with  iircfii  pastilles,  over  wliicli  herds  of  rein- 
deer roamed  in  undisturbed  enjoyment  of  their  lihert}',  and 
far  fn»ni  all  Hoes. 

•'For  thousands  of  years  this  land  had  lain  l)urie(i  from 
the  kno\vK-d«ie  of  men,  and  now  its  di>covery  had  fallen  into 
the  lap  of  a  small  hand,  themselves  almost  lost  to  the  world, 
who  far  from  tluir  home  remembered  the  homum' due  their 
sovereign,  and  gave  to  the  newly  discovered  territory  the 
name  Kaiser  Franz  .K)sef  Land.  >Vith  loud  hurrahs  we 
drank  to  the  health  of  our  Kmperor  in  jiroj;  hastily  made  on 
deck  in  an  iron  colYee-pot,  and  then  dressed  the  TajrUlioJf 
with  llaKs.  All  cares,  for  the  present,  at  least,  disappeared, 
and  with  them  the  passive  monotony  of  our  lives.  There 
was  not  a  day,  there  was  hardly  an  hour,  in  which  this  mysteri- 
ous land  did  not  henceforth  occupy  our  tht»ughts  and  atten- 
tion." 

In  October  the  vessel  drifted  within  three  mil(>sof  an  island 
lyinfr  off  the  main  mass  of  land.  Lieutenant  Payer  landed 
on  it,  and  found  it  to  be  in  latitude  7<)°  ^A'  N.  It  was  named 
after  Count  Wilczek,  whose  deep  interest  in  the  expedition 
had  won  for  him  the  affection  of  all. 

A  second  winter  settled  upon  the  T ajdt In >Jf  and  her  crew  at 
this  point,  the  chief  diversion  beinf;  bear  hunts,  in  which  no  less 
than  sixty-seven  bears  were  killed.  On  tlie  lOth  of  March, 
1S74,  Payer  made  a  ])reliminary  sl(Ml}re  journey,  the  object  of 
which  was  to  determine  the  jjosition  and  frt'neral  relations  of 
the  new  land.  A  lars<>  sledji;e  was  used  and  was  e(iuii)ped  for 
a  week  ;  it  carried  an  extra  (piantity  of  provisions,  which  were 
intended  to  form  depots,  for  the  more  extended  sledj-c  journey 
contemplated  for  later  on.  Thirty-nine  pounds  oi  hard  brea<l, 
liv(>  i)ounds  of  jiennnican.  sixteen  j>ounds  of  boiled  l)eef, 
one  pomid  of  [)ea-sausane,  one-half  ])ound  of  salt  and  ix-pper, 
six  pounds  of  rice,  two  pounds  of  grits,  five  pounds  of  chocolate, 


•I 


j'Ayi:i:'s  sledge  JoriisHYs 


■2Ul 


five  gallons  of  rum,  ono  pound  of  oxtract  of  meat,  two  pounds 
of  condensed  milk,  and  I'l^hi  j?ullons  of  alcohol.  The  party 
consisted  of  I'ayer  and  six  men,  witii  three  dogs. 

Intense  cold  and  violent  snow-storms,  the  thonnometer 
fallinj;  as  low  as  —')\f,  caused  great  suffering  to  the  men  from 
frost  bites.  This  frightful  temperature  was experiencj'd  March 
14.  On  that  ilay  I'ayer  with  a  Tyrolese  mountain  climher 
stood  on  the  summit  of  the  precipitous  face  of  the  Sonklar- 
(Jlacier,  whose  hroad  terminal  front  overhangs  tho  frozen 
bay  of  Xordenskjold  Fiord. 

After  making  deposits  of  provisions,  the  party  wore  obliged 
to  return  to  the  ship,  after  an  al)sence  of  five  days. 

On  March  2tt,  Lieutenant  Payer  with  ten  men  and  three 
dogs  started  on  a  more  extended  journey  of  thirty  days. 
The  eciuipment  for  this  second  trip  consisted  of  :  — 

11)8. 

the  large  sledge 1")() 

the  provisions,  including  packing 620 

the  I  log  sledge ;>7 

the  tent,  sleejjing  l)ags,  tent-i)oles,  ami  Alpine  stock  320 

alcohol  and  rum 12.S 

fur  coats  and  fur  gloves 140 

instruments,  rifles,  amnumition 170 

shovel,  2  cooking-machines,  drag-ropes,  dog-tent,  etc. 

iriO.') 

I'lach  of  the  four  sacks  of  provisions  —  calculated  for  seven 
days  and  seven  men  —  contained  fifty-one  pounds  of  boiled 
beef,  forty-eight  pounds  of  bread,  eight  pounds  of  pemmican, 
seven  pounds  of  bacon,  two  pounds  of  extract  of  meat,  four 
pounds  of  condensed  milk,  two  pounds  of  coffee,  four  pounds 
of  chocolate,  seven  pounds  of  rice,  three  pounds  of  grits, 
one  pound  of  salt  and  pe])per,  two  pounds  of  pea-sausage, 
four  |)ounds  of  sugar,  besides  a  reserve  bag  with  twenty  pouiuls 
of  breath     Boiled  beef  was  taken  as  food  for  the  dogs,  ami  it 


r 


11 


!• 


i     , 


Oil.) 

ma*  'art 


Tilt:  (iitEAT  wiuih:  soinn 


I   I    I 


was  liopcd  tli:it  ^ainr  \vo\jl(l  supijlcrncut  tlic  n«'i><'nil  rations. 

Fioiii  aliiiiot  the  lirst  hour  violent  l»li/zui<ls,  iutt'iisi? 
<'(>1<1,  and  the  illicvfii  coiiditioii  of  tlif  ice  made  the  joiiriify 
dislirartriiinj;  and  lal)ori(»us.  \\y  \\\\\\  1  llicy  penetrated  l»y 
CafM'  IIuusu  into  a  newly  discctvered  j)assajje,  eovered  with 
heavy  iee,  to  which  Payer  j;ave  the  n-une  of  Austria  Sound. 
Hy  the  7tli  of  A|)ril  they  advancecl  into  Hawlnison  Sound, 
over  a  tra<'k  Ix'tween  hununoeks  some  of  wliicli  were  forty 
feet  iii^h,  tluMJepressionft  hetween  them  filled  witlnleep  layers 
of  snow. 

The  noble  mountain  forms  and  mi^lity  glaciers  of  Crown 
IViiii-e  Hudolf  Land  could  !)(' seen  in  tin- distanc*'.  Pursuing 
their  course  in  a  westerly  din  -tion  they  reached  IIolKidohe 
Island  the  next  day,  where  the  exiM'dition  encamped,  and  X\\v 
party  divided,  the  smaller  continuing  to  the  north  for  the 
purjMjse  of  examining  the  glaciers  of  Rud()lf  Land. 

\  disaster  occurred  the  first  day  after  their  departun>  which 
nearly  proved  fatal  to  the  success  of  their  undertaking. 
While  crossing  the  Middendorf  glacier,  the  snow  gave  way 
Ix'neath  a  sledge,  which  precipitated  one  of  the  men,  Zanino- 
vich  l»y  name,  the  dogs  and  sledge,  into  a  crevasse.  "From 
an  unknown  depth,"  writes  Payer,  "I  heard  a  man's  voice 
mingled  with  the  howling  of  dogs.  .\ll  this  was  the  impression 
of  a  moment,  while  I  felt  myself  dragged  backwards  by  the 
rope.  Staggering  back,  and  seeing  the  dark  abyss  beneath 
me,  I  could  not  doubt  that  I  should  be  i)recipitatcd  into  it  the 
next  instant.  .\  womlerful  Providence  arrested  th<'  fall  of 
the  sledge;  at  a  dej)th  of  altout  tliirty  feet  it  stuck  fast 
Ix'tween  the  sides  of  the  crevasse,  just  as  I  was  being  dragged 
to  the  edge  of  the  abyss  by  its  weight.  The  sledge  having 
jammed  itself  in,  I  lay  on  my  stomach  close  to  the  awful  brink, 
the  rojM'  which  attached  me  to  the  sledge  tightly  strained,  and 
cutting  deep  into  the  snow.  The  situation  was  all  the  more 
dreadful  us   I,  the  only  person  present   accustomed   to  the 


I'AVKIi's  sLHIXit:  jnrn.yHYs 


L>'.t3 


.hiiijitTs  of  ■iliicicis.  liiy  tlitTc  uiml.li-  to  stir.     When  I  cried 
•  lowii  to  Zaiiinovich  lliiit  I  woul.l  rut  the  n.pr,  \\v  implored  me 
not  to  do  it,  lor  il"  I  did.  the  sledne  would  turn  ov(>r,  und  he 
would  l.e  killed.     For  :i  time  I  lay  (juiet,  eoiisideriiin  what  was 
to  he  done.     Hv  and  l>y  it  fla.shed  into  my  memory,  how  1  and 
my  muide  had  once  I'aUen  down  :i  wall  of  ire  in  the  Irtler 
Mountains,  eijiht  hundreil  feet  hinh,  aiul  had  escaped.     This 
inspired  me  with  conti<lence  to  venture  on  a  rescue,  despt'rate 
as  it  sinned  undi-r  the  circum.stances.     Orel  had  now  come 
up,  and,  although  he  had  never  l>een  on  a  glacier  before,  tliis 
Hallant  odicer  daunth-ssly  advance<l  to  the  edue  of  the  en - 
vasse,  and  layiuK  himself  on  his  stomach,  l(K)ked  down  int.. 
the  ahyss,  and  cried  to  me, 'Zaninovich  is  lyin^  on  a  h-d^e 
of  snow  in  the  crevasse,  with  precipices  all  round  him  and  the 
doKs  are  still  attached  to  the  traces  of  the  sledge,  which  has 
stmk  fa.st.'     I  called  to  him  to  throw  me  his  knife,  which  he 
did  with  such  dexterity,  that   I  was  al)h'  to  lay  hold  of  it 
without  difficulty,  and  Jis  the  only  m(>ans  of  rescue,  I  severed 
the  trace  which  was  fa.stened  round  my  waist.     The  sledge 
made  a  short  turn,  and  then  stuck  fa.st  astiin.     I  immediately 
spranu;  to  my  feet,  drew  olT  my  canvas  lMH)ts,  and  sprang  over 
the  crevasse,  which  was  about  t»>n  feet  broad.     I  now  caught 
sight  of  Zaninovich  and  the  dogs,  and  shouted  to  him,  that 
I  would  run  back  to  Hohenlohe  Island  to  fetch  men  an<l  roiM-s 
for  his  rescue,  and  that  rescued  he  would  be,  if  he  could  con- 
trive for  four  hours  to  keej)  himself  from  being  frozen.     I  Heard 
his  answer:    'Fate,  Signoro,  fate  pure!'    and  then  Orel  and 
I  disappeared.     IIe(>dh"ss  of  th(>  crevas.ses  which  lay  i  i  onr 
path,  or  of  the  bears  which  might  attack  us,  we  ran  down  the 
glacier   back   to   ("ape   Schrotter,   six   miles   off.     Only   one 
thought  |)ossessed  us—  the  rescue  of  Zaninovich,  the  jeucl 
and  pride  of  our  party,  and  the  recovery  of  our  invalua!»ie 
store  of  provisions,  and  of  the  book  containing  our  journals, 
which,  if  lost,  could  never  be  replaced.     Hut    evi-n     apart 


■4 
1 


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MICROCOPY    RESOIUTION    TEST   CHART 

•  ANSI  and  I  ,0  TEST  CHART  No    2i 


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3.6 


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2.5 
2.2 

2£ 
1.8 


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*j~i    Last    Muin    St'eef 

f-    -e;  -  OJOO  -Phone 
'•'-!    ^8«  -  5989  -  Fax 


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////■;   a  HEAT    WHITE   SORT  11 


fritin  tny  personal  iVclinii  t<>i'  Zaiiiiiovicli.  I  keenly  felt  the  re- 
proaelH  s  to  which  I  .-.honlil  he  exposed  ol'  iiicaill ioiis  tiavelliiii:; 
on  glaciers  ;  and  it  jiave  lue  no  coinhn't  to  think  that  my 
previous  e\|)eriences  in  this  kind  of  travellinji  over  the  j^laeiers 
of  (Ireenland  api)eared  to  justify  my  proceedinj^s.  Stun^ 
with  these  rellections,  I  pressed  on  at  the  top  of  my  s|)eed, 
leavinji  Orel  far  behind  m<'.  Bathed  with  perspiration.  I 
threw  off  my  bird-skin  jfarmeiits,  my  hoots,  my  gloves,  and 
my  shawl,  and  ran  in  my  stoekinjis  throu}j;h  the  deep  snow. 
Aft(>r  passinji;  the  labyrinth  of  iceberj^s  I  saw  the  rocky  pyramid 
of  ( ■ai)e  Schrotter  before  m(>  in  the  distance.  The  success 
of  my  ventur<>  depend(>d  on  the  weather.  If  siu)W  driviiij^ 
should  set  in,  and  the  footprints  should  be  obliterated,  it 
would  be  impossible  to  find  Ilohenlohe  Island.  All  around 
me  it  was  fearfully  lonely.  1-jicompassed  by  "glaciers,  I  was 
al)solutely  alone.  At  last  I  saw  Klotz  emerjie  from  Ix'hhul 
an  icebert:;  at  some  distance  off,  and  thouj^h  I  continued  to 
shout  his  name  till  I  almost  reached  Inm,  I  failed  to  rouse 
him  from  his  usual  reverie.  When  at  last  he  saw  mebi'eath- 
lessly  pushin<i;  on,  scarcely  clothed,  and  constantly  callinj;', 
his  sack  slip])ed  from  his  back,  and  he  stared  at  nie  as  if  he  had 
lost  his  s(>nses.  When  the  hardy  son  of  the  mountains 
came  to  understand  that  Zaninovich  with  the  sl(>dj;e  was 
buried  in  the  crevasse,  he  l)egan  to  weep,  in  his  simplicity  of 
heart  takiufi  the  blame  of  what  had  liappened  on  himself. 
He  was  so  ajiiitated  and  disturbed,  that  I  made  him  promise 
that  he  would  do  himself  no  mischief,  and  then,  leaviu}:;  him 
to  his  moody  silence,  I  ran  on  aj>;ain  towards  the  island.  It 
seemed  as  if  I  should  never  reach  ('ape  Sdu'otter  ;  with  head 
l)ent  down  I  trud^eii  on,  counting  my  steps  through  the  deej) 
snow  :  when  I  raised  it  again,  after  a  little  time,  it  was  always 
the  same  black  s])ot  that  I  saw  on  the  ilistant  horizon.  At 
last  I  came  near  it,  saw  the  tent,  saw  some  ».lark  spots  creep 
out  of  it,  saw  them  gather  together,  and  then  run  down  the 


il 


CAPE  FUG  ELY 


•21»5 


It 


snow-slopo.     Thoso  wero  the  friends  we  liiul  left  iK'hind.     A 
I  w  words  of  oxplaniition,  with  an  exhortution  to  al)st;un  from 
idle  huncntations.  were  cnouiili.     They  at  once  dctaclicd  a 
second  rope  from  the  hirjj;e  sledj!;e,  and  ^ot   hold  of  a  lonjj; 
tent-pole.     Meanwhile     I    had    rushed    upon    the    eookinf-;- 
maehine,  (juiekly  melted  a  litth'  snow  to  <iUcnch  my  raf>;in<j; 
thirst,    and    tiien    we    all    set    off    aji;ain  —  Haller,    Sussiek, 
Lukinoviei),  and  myself—  to  the  Middendorf  jilaeier.     Tent 
and  i)rovisions  were  h'ft  unwatehed  ;    we  ran  hack  for  three 
hours  and  a  half  ;  fears  for  Zaninovich  pi\ c  such  wiiijjs  to  my 
st(>ps,  that  my  companions  were  scarcely  iihle  to  keep  uj)  with 
me.     Ever  and  anon,  I  had  to  stop  to  drink  sotne  rum.     At 
the  outset,  we  met  Orel,  and  rather  later  Klotz,  both  making 
for  Cape  Schrotter,  Klotz  to  remain  Ix^hind  there,  and  Orel 
to  retiu-n  v.'ith  us  at  once  to  Middendorf  glacier.     VVlu^n  we 
came  among  the  icelx'rgs  under  Cape  Hahermann,  I  picked 
up,  one  by  one,  the  clothes  I  ha.!  thrown  away.     Reaching 
the  glacier,  we  tied  ourselves  together  with  a  rope.     Going 
before  the  n^st  I  approached  with  Ix^ating  heart  the  ])lace, 
whore  the  sledge  had  disappeared  four  hours  and  a  half  ago. 
A  dark  abyss  yawned  b(  Tore  us  ;  not  a  sound  issued  from  its 
dc]iths,  not  even  when  I  lay  on  the  ground  and  shouted.     At 
last  I  heard  tlu'  whining  of  a  dog,  and  th(>n  an  unintelligible 
answer  fr  hu  Zaninovich.     Hall(T  was  quickly  let  down  by  a 
rope  ;  he  found  him  still  living,  but  almost  froz(>n,  on  a  ledge 
of  snow  forty  feet   down  tli(>  crevasse.     Fastening  himself 
and  Zaninovich  to  the  rope,  they  W(Te  drawn  up  after  gr(>at 
exertion.     A  storm  of  greetings  salute<l  Zaninovich,  stilY  and 
speechless  though  he  was,  when  he  api)eared  on  the  surface 
of  the  glacier.     I  need  not  add  that  we  gave  him  some  nun 
to  stimulati>  his  vital  energies.     It  was  a  noble  proof  how  duty 
and  discipliiu"  assert  themselves,  even  in  such  situations,  that 
the  first  word  of  this  sailor,  saved  from  being  frozen  to  death, 
was  not  a  complaint,  but  thanks,  accompanied  with  a  request 


1 


20G 


THE  GUEAT    W  IIITK   SOUTH 


I 

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i    ,^! 

1      + 


that  I  would  pardon  liiin  if  lie,  iii  order  to  save  liimsclf  from 
lu'infj;  frozen,  had  ventured  to  (hink  a  portion  of  the  rum, 
which  liad  fallen  down  in  its  case  with  the  sledjie  to  his  led^o 
of  snow.  Huller  afj;ain  d(>scended,  and  fastened  the  do<j;s  to  a 
rope.  Tiie  clever  animals  had  freed  themselves  from  their 
traces  in  som(>  inexi)lical)le  way,  and  hud  sj)run^  to  a  narrow 
ledfie,  where  Ilaller  found  them,  close  to  where  Zaninovich 
liatl  la  n.  It  was  astonishinj;  how  (piickly  they  discerned  the 
dantjer  of  the  position  and  how  <ireat  was  their  confidencu'  in  us. 
They  had  slej)!  the  whole  time,  as  Zaninovich  afterwards  told 
us,  and  he  had  carefully  avoided  tou(  hin<>-  them  lest  they 
.should  fall  down  deei)er  into  the  ahyss.  We  drew  them  up 
with  some  difficulty,  and  they  jjave  e\])r(  ssion  to  their  joy, 
first  by  rollinfj;  tluMns(>lv(>s  viji'orously  in  the  snow,  and  then 
l)y  licking  our  hands.  W(>  then  raised  Haller  hy  th(^  ropo 
some  ten  feet  hijiher  than  die  led^e  on  which  Zaninovicli  had 
kin,  so  that  he  mi<>;ht  he  ahle  to  cut  the  ropers  which  fastened 
the  loading  of  tlie  firmly  wedfjed  in  sledge.  At  this  moment, 
Orel  arrived,  and  with  his  help  we  raised  <me  l)y  one  the 
articles  with  which  the  sledn(>  was  loaded.  It  was  ten  o'clock 
l)(>fore  W(>  wore  convinced  that  we  had  lost  nothing  of  any 
imjjortance  in  the  crevasse." 

On  A])ril  12,  1874,  Payer  and  his  comiianions  attained 
their  farthest  north,  82°  .')'  north  latitude  ;  on  that  day  they 
stood  on  a  promontory  about  one  thousand  feet  liiji'h,  to  whicli 
the  name  of  ( 'ape  Fligely  was  given. 

"Rudolf  Land  still  stretched  in  a  north(>asterIy  direction," 
writes  Payer,  "towards  a  ( "a])e,  ( 'a])e  Sherard  Osl)orne  — 
though  it  was  im])ossible  to  (h'termine  its  further  course  and 
connection." 

In  the  distant  north,  blue  mountain  ranges  indicated 
masses  of  land  and  to  these  the  namcvs  of  King  Oscar  Land 
and  Petermann  Land  wc-e  given.  "Proudly  we  planted  the 
Austro-IIungarian  flag,"  continues  Paver,  "for  the  first  time 


\\ 


HOME 


21*7 


in  the  high  North.  A  document  we  enclosed  in  ii  bottle  and 
dci)osited  in  a  cleft  of  rock."  The  return  to  the  ship  was  ren- 
dered doubly  hazardous  by  the  insecurity  of  the  ice,  and  the 
increasing  water  lujles. 

The  results  of  the  joiirn(>y  may  be  summed  up  as  follows  — 
Payer  found  the  newly  discovered  country  to  be  al)out  the 
size  of  Spitzbergen,  and  consisting  of  two  larji;e  masses, 
Wilczek  Land  to  tlie  East,  and  Zichy  Land  to  the  west,  inter- 
sected by  numerous  fjords  and  skirted  by  many  islands. 
Austria  Sound  divid(>s  the  two  main  masses  of  land  and  (>xtends 
to  82°  X.,  where  Rawlinson  Sound  forks  off  to  the  northeast. 
The  mountains  reach  a  heijijht  of  two  thousand  to  thre(>  thou- 
sand feet  ;  jrlaciers  abound  in  the  ravines,  and  even  the  islands 
are  covered  with  a  jrhicial  caj). 

A  third  sl(>d}>;e  journey  was  undertaken  by  Lieutenant 
Payer  on  April  29  to  explore  a  large  island  named  after 
M'Clintock. 

The  momentous  day.  May  20,  on  which  the  Tccjdthoff  was 
abandoned,  came  at  last.  Three  boats  were  sel(>cted  by  the 
return  expedition.  Two  of  these  were  Norwegian  whale- 
boats,  twenty  f(>et  long,  five  feet  ])roa(l,  and  two  and  one-half 
deep  ;  the  third  was  somewhat  smaller. 

The  hmumocks  rendi  red  their  advance  discouragingly 
slow.  It  was  nec(>ssary  to  pass  over  the  sam(>  short  distance 
many  times  in  the  course  of  a  day,  and  after  two  months  of 
indescribable  efforts,  the  distance  reached  by  the  jiarty  was 
not  more  than  two  German  mil(>s.  An  occasional  bear, 
shot  by  the  men,  restored  the  waning  strength  and  courage, 
but  not  until  August  14,  did  the  welcome  sound  of  the  open 
water  reach  their  ears,  and  in  77°  40'  north  latitude,  they 
launched  their  boats.  Nine  days  later  they  A\ere  picked  up  by 
Russian  fishermen  off  the  coast  of  Nova  Zeinl)la. 


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C'HAPTKH    XVI 

B'lron  A.  V..  v(»ii  X()nlciisUj(il(l.  —  l"irst  voyajfc  ISoS. — Accom- 
p.niic-;  sin'rccdinii  Swi'ili^h  cxpcilitioiw.  — S])itzl)ci'iii'ii.  -X'oyiif^c; 
of  Sdjid.  -  ISCiS.  -  NonlcnskjiildV  journey  to  ( "ircciihmd. — • 
N'ovaijc  of  t  lie /'"//'(■///.  -  Attempt  to  reaeh  the  I'ole  hy  feimlecr 
sledjfe.  -  riiexpected  discoiii;ij2;''iiit'iits  ;uid  di.sister.-.  —  N'oyage 
of  tlie  I'mrai.  —  l,s7').  — Tlie  Kaia  S'a.  —  Journey  repeated  the 
following  year.  —In  tlie  Yitur.    -  \'oya«e  of  the  \'<<ja. 

Till-;  career  of  liaroii  A.  E.  von  Xonlenskjcild  is  one  of  the 
most  (listiimuisluMl  in  Arctic  history.  Born  in  Helsinj;f()rs, 
Finland,  Xoveinher  IS,  ISI^i,  he  learned  at  an  early  as*'  tlie 
thrill  of  adventiM'e  and  the  joys  of  research  while  accoinpany- 
injj;  his  distiiiniiished  father  on  his  mineralojiical  totu's  in  the 
I'ral  ^roiintains.  After  sra(hiatin,s>;  at  IIelsin<;fors  in  1857, 
Nordenskj(')ld  was  himself  appointecl  a  professor  of  mineralojiy 
at  Stockholm.  Baron  Xordenskj(')ld's  scientific  interest  in 
pv)lar  researcli  Ix-jian  as  early  as  ISoS,  when  he  accompaniecl 
( )tto  Torell.  chief  j^eoloirist  of  Sweden,  who  sailed  on  the  Fritli- 
rop  for  Spitzl)erf>;(Mi.  This  was  the  lu'.ninninj;-  of  a  series  of 
Swedish  exjieditions  that  covered  a  (jiiarter  of  a  century,  in 
which  X'orden-<kj(")ld  had  a  most  valuable  and  active  part. 
Two  months  w(>r(>  spent  on  tlu^  west  coast  of  Si)itzl)erp;en, 
in  dreil>iiny;  the  sea,  studyin<!;  the  laml  formation  and  its 
botanical  and  ji'hicial  conditions. 

Xordenskj{)ld's  chief  contrihntion  to  scienc(>  on  this  expedi- 
tion was  the  discovery  of  a  fossil-hearinu;  rock  in  carbon- 
iferous formations. 

Anotlier  journey  beyond  the  Arctic  circle  was  undertaken 
by  Torell  in  bS(il.  for  a  more  thorough  survey  an<l  study  of  the 
natural  history  and  jijcolojiy  of  Spitzbergcn.     On  this  journey, 

2'J8 


!]■ 


SI'ITZHEIltJEN 


2!t9 


'l'(»rcll,  X()nl('nsk,i»)l(l  juid  Petersen  undertook  ;i  I.oat  journey 
to  llinlopen  Stniit  und  later  visited  tlie  coast  of  Northeast 
Land.  I'assiuK  Xortli  Cajx-  and  visitinji  Seven  Islands, 
they  reached  their  farthest,  Str  42'  N.,  Auf^ust  •'>,  at  lMiii)|)s 

Island. 

I'rince  Oscar  Land  was  reached  a  week  later,  and  from  a 
mountain  two  thousand  feet  hi|^h  near  Cape  Wrede,  two 
islands  could  he  seen  in  the  distance,  to  which  were  fiiven  the 
names  of  Charles  XII  and  Drahanten.  Pushinj:;  their  way 
east  of  Cape  Platen,  the  ice  conditions  forced  their  return. 

In  IHihi  Xordenskjold  a^ain  visited  Spitzberfien,  and  a,ii;ain 
in  18(54,  when  he  was  placed  in  charji;e  of  the  Swe<lisli  e\i)edi- 
tion,  and  was  accompanied  hy  Duner  and  Maliufiren.  In  a 
small  l)oat  of  twenty-six  tons  hurden.  and  i)rovisioned  for  less 
than  six  months,  they  entennl  Safe  Ilarhor  at  the  entrance  of 
the  ma}i;ni{icent  Ice  Fiord.  After  roundins  the  southern  cape 
of  Si)itziH'rf2;en,  they  entered  Store  Fiord,  and  visited  Edf2;es 
Land  and  Parent z  Land.  After  enterin*!;  Ilelis  Sound  and 
ascendinji;  White  Mountain,  they  aji;ain  rounded  South  Capo 
with  the  intention  of  following;  the  west  coast  as  far  nortli  as 
the  ice  would  permit.  On  this  journey  while  off  Charles 
Foreland,  tliey  rescued  some  shipwrecked  sailors,  whose  ves- 
sels had  become  beset  off  Seven  Islands,  and  who  had  jour- 
neyed in  open  boats  som(>  two  hundred  miles  in  fourteen 
days.  An  inmuMliate  return  was  thus  made  necessary,  but 
the  results  of  the  sianmer's  work  was  a  map,  executcul  by  Xor- 
denskjold and  Dundr,  which  delineates  SpitzlxTf^en  with 
Sreat  accuracy. 

In  bSOS  th(>  Sw(>dish  expedition  had  for  its  olij(H-tive  ]M)int 
the  Pole.  The  Sofia  was  chosen  for  this  puriios(>  and  com- 
manded by  Captain  (Count)  F.  W.  von  Otter,  with  Xor- 
denski()ld  as  scientific  chief.  Smeerenberg-  Bay  at  the  north 
end  of  S))itzberji-en  was  decided  upon  as  a  place  of  rendezvous 
and  from  thi<  point  the  S„j!(i  made  two  attempts  for  a  lii^h 


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77/ A'   CRKAT    WIUTK  NOirill 


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nurtliinin.  In  I  lie  ^^(•(•»>ll(l  she  was  icwanlcd  hy  roucliinfi  on 
ScptcmlxT  l<t.  ISfiS,  Sl°  12'  N.,  and  17°  :?()'  Iv,  at  that  time 
tilt'  i'artli<'.-t  north  attained  l)y  any  sliip.  A  third  attempt 
to  push  the  Sojiii  t!irouj;ii  the  inipenetral)le  ]rM'k  resulted  in 
her  lu'cotninjj;  disabled  and  necessitated  the  return  of  the 
expedition  to  Sweden. 

In  INTO  Xordenskj()ld  made  a  journey  to  Creiniland,  ac- 
companied by  Dr.  Berj:?jiren,  the  noted  professor  of  botany  at 
Lund.  The  object  of  the  exjx'dition  was  to  j)enetrate  the 
unexplored  interit)r  from  a  ])oint  at  the  northern  arm  of  a 
deej)  inlet  called  Aulaitsivik  Fiord,  some  sixty  mil(>s  south  of 
the  discharsinj;  glacier  at  Jakobshaven  and  two  hundred 
and  forty  north  of  the  j!;lacier  at  (iodthaab.  lie  conunenced 
his  inland  journey  on  the  19th  of  July.  Resides  Dr.  BersKren, 
he  was  assisted  by  two  Eskimos,  but  the  dishearteriin.a; 
difficulties  of  travel  over  the  inland  ice  of  (Ireenland,  caused 
by  the  slow  movement  of  the  j^laciers,  which  pro(luc(>  chasms 
and  clefts  of  almost  bottomless  (le))th,  soon  caused  the  i)arty 
to  abandon  their  shvlj^e,  and  later  the  two  natives  refused 
to  ])rocce(l.  Undaunted  by  their  desertion,  Xordenskjiild 
and  Dr.  Berjijiren  continued  their  explorations  alone  and 
advanced  thirty  mih'sover  the  sU'ciers  to  a  hei<i;ht  of  twenty- 
two  hundred  feet  above  the  .sea.  One  of  the  most  important 
results  of  this  r(Mnarkabl(>  journey  was  the  discovery  of  two 
meteorites,  the  largest  ever  known. 

In  1S71  Xordenskj(')l(l  ajiain  set  out  for  Spitzbergen.  His 
object  was  to  r(>ach  the  Pole  by  reindeer-sle(l<!;inji.  Sailinji; 
in  the  shi])  Pollicni  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Palander  of 
the  Swedish  Xavy,  and  accompanied  by  two  convoys,  the 
(SUuiiu  and  OtthU;  Adam,  they  reached  Mussel  Bay,  and  there 
established  winter  quarters.  In  an  attempt  to  return,  the 
convoys  were  beset  in  a  violent  storm.  Unable  to  extricate 
th(>mselves  and  not  being  provisioned  for  winter  the  crews, 
numbering  forty-three  men,  were  suddenly  forced  upon 
XordenskjiJld's  party  for  fuel  and  supplies. 


rolM'.f;  OF  THE  "I'DLIIKM 


,H\\ 


To  (listrihutc  food  iiitciidcd  for  twenty-four  persons  uiiionK 
a  party  of  sixty-seven  was  a  serious  problem,  and  was  only 
aeeoiiiiilislied  by  reducinf?  the  rations  of  all  one-tliird.  Hanlly 
had  this  blow  fallen  upon  the  j)rosi)eets  of  the  expetlition. 
when  they  were  visited  by  four  men  with  the  overwhelminti 
news  that  six  walrus-vessels  had  been  frozen  in  at  Point  (Irey 
and  Cape  Welcome.  liy  hunting  it  was  hoped  that  the  fifty- 
eij;ht  unfortunate  men  would  manage  to  avoid  starvation 
until  the  first  of  December,  after  that  tlieir  only  salvation 
rested  with  the  generosity  of  Xordenskjc'dd.  The  only  relief 
to  the  appallinfj;  situation  was  in  the  fact  that  a  Swedish 
colony  had  that  year  worked  a  phosphatic  deposit  at  Cape 
Thors(h'n,  Ice  Fiord,  and  the  manatj;er  after  .ibandonintf  the 
work  had  r(>turned  to  Norway,  leaving  behind  him  a  consider- 
able amount  of  stores.  Cape  Thorsden  was  distant  two 
hundred  miles,  but  seventeen  of  the  walrus-hunters  deter- 
mined to  undertake  it.  These  men  succo(>de(l  in  reaching  the 
depot,  wh(>re  an  ample  supply  of  all  the  necessaries  of  life 
awaited  them  —  including  a  house,  fuel,  preserved  and  dried 
vegetables,  and  fresh  potatoes.  Huddling  in  one  room,  living 
on  salt-beef  and  pork,  rather  than  go  to  the  exertion  of  avail- 
ing themselv(^s  of  the  ample  diet  at  hand  —  these  men  were 
attacked  by  scurvy  and  not  one  survived  the  rigours  of  the 
Avinter.  At  Mussel  Bay  the  food  conditions  were  (lei)lorable. 
Init  wore  eked  out  by  the  utilization  of  reindeer  moss  mixed 
with  rye  flour,  which  proiluced  a  very  bitter  bread. 

This  sacrifice  of  th(>  food  of  the  reindeer  greatly  crippled 
Nonhniskjcild's  cherished  plans  for  his  spring  journ(\vs,  and 
to  add  to  his  disappointments,  the  reindeer  themselves  were 
carelessly  allowed  to  escape  by  the  Laj^ps  during  a  violent 
snow-storm.  A  fortunate  opening  of  the  ice  early  in  No- 
vember allowed  two  vessels  to  escajie,  and  these  vessels  took 
the  crews  of  the  four  others. 

The  Arctic  night  was  passed  by  the  expedition  in  making 


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scientific  ohscrvjitions,  drcdjiiim  under  the  ice,  uml  in  mental 
and  |)liy.>ical  exercise.  In  spite  of  every  jn-ecaution  against 
the  dreaded  I'oe.  scurvy  hroke  out  aniunj?  tlie  men,  liut  was 
overcome  under  a  strict  iliet  reiiime. 

In  spite  of  the  disastrous  h»ss  of  his  reindeer  and  the  de- 
plet«'d  state  of  his  stores  and  provisions,  Nordenskj(>ld  at- 
tem|>ted  his  northern  journey  the  foUowinji  spring.  At 
Seven  Islands  he  was  stopp<'d  l»y  the  ice,  l)Ut  in  spite  of  this 
disappointment  lie  conchKlecl  to  visit  North  Mast  Lan<l  for 
the  purpose  of  ^eot!;raphical  research.  A  journey  of  five  days 
(tver  impa>sal)le  hummocks  resulted  in  his  making  ("ape 
I'laten        and  later  Otter  Islantl. 

The  increased  danjicrs  of  trav<'l  and  the  j)resence  of  water 
holes  determined  him  to  al)an<lon  the  coast  route  and  .strike 
across  the  inland  ice.  This  anluous  journey  was  o\vr  hard- 
packed  lilindinii  white  snow,  "jjlazed  ami  polished,"  he  writes, 
"so  that  we  mijilit  have  thought  ourselves  to  he  advancinj^ 
over  an  unsurpassahly  faultless  and  spotle.-<s  fl(M)r  of  white 
m,  ,l)le."  lilindinK  storms,  hiiz/ards,  or  ice  fojis,  marked  each 
step  of  their  fifteen  days'  journey.  Snow  hridiies  covered 
treacherous  chasms,  some  of  which  were  forty  f<'<"t  in  depth. 
On  June  la,  they  descended  into  Hinlopen  Strait  at  Wahlen- 
herti  Bay,  and  finally  the  i)arty  reached  Mussel  liay  after 
an  absence  of  sixty  <lays. 

In  the  early  sununer,  th(\v  had  the  good  fortune  to  1)0 
visited  l»y  Mr.  Leiuh  Smith,  the  veteran  Arctic  Jiavigator 
and  scientist,  in  his  private  yacht  Diaiin,  throuiih  whose 
generosity  the  exjM'dition  was  liberally  supplied  with  fresh 
provisions,  which  reiuoved  the  jHMuling  anxiety  for  the  future. 

In  INT.")  \ordenM.j()ld  turned  his  attention  to  the  possi- 
bility of  navig.ating  the  seas  along  the  northern  coast  of  Siberia. 
This  route  had  already  been  openecl  by  Tajitain  Wiggins 
of  Sunderland,  wlio  in  IS71.  1S7."),  and  1S7»).  oi)ene<l  the  way 
to  trade  t»etweeii  Europe  and  the  mouth  of  the  Yenisei  River. 


Nordcnskjold  s;iil('(l  from  Tiomsoc,  in  the  i'mmi,  .Itmc,  1S7'), 
and  .succcssiiilly  ii:ivijiutin«  the  Kani  Si-a  rcaclicil  an  (•xccllnit 
harbour  on  tlic  caslcrii  .-itlc  of  the  iii(»utli  oftlic  'SCiusci,  to 
wliirli  lie  Kavc  the  name  of  I'ort  Dickson,  in  honour  of  Mr. 
Oscar  Dickson,  of  ( lothcnliurji;,  for  many  years  the  hbcral 
supporter  of  the  SwccUsii  cxixMhtions. 

To  demonstrate  tliat  the  Kara  Sea  ha<l  not  licen  more  fret; 
of  ice  than  usual  in  the  summer  of  ISTo  and  tliat  the  route 
would  he  practicable  another  season,  XonlenskjTtld  repeated 
his  voyat^e  in  the  Ytncr  the  following  year. 

His  hnijj;  .Vrctic  experience  had  l>y  this  time  convinced  him 
of  the  feasibility  of  the  northeast  i)assajie.  To  demonstrate 
this  conviction,  he  eidisted  the  patroiKW  of  the  kiiifl  of 
Sweden,  Mr.  Oscar  Dickson,  and  Mr.  Sibiriakoff,  a  Silx-riau 
proju-ietor  of  vast  wealth,  and  the  result  was  the  purchase  of 
the  Vaja,  which  was  liberally  ((luipped  for  a  successful  expe- 
dition. 

The  Vqja  had  been  used  for  whale-fisluns  in  the  north  polar 
s(>a,  her  rejiister  was  three  hundred  and  fifty-seven  tons  gross, 
or  two  hundred  and  ninety-nine  net. 
Her  dimensions  were  as  follows  : —  metres 

Length  of  keel  ;57.t) 

Lensiith  over  deck ^-J- 1 

Beam  extreme  ^-^ 

Dei)th  of  hold  -l-^ 

She  had  a  sixty  horso-power  en<j;ino,  wliich  recjuired  ten 
cubic  feet  of  coal  per  hour,  (h'veloi)inf!;  an  averaj^e  speed  of 
six  or  s(>ven  knots  per  hour.  The  ves.-^el  was  a  fvill-rigy:ed 
bark,  with  pitch  pine  masts,  iron  wire  rififvJHS  :""l  p:tt('nt 
r(>efinc;  top  sails:  under  sail  alone  she  was  abl(>  to  attain  a 
speed  of  nine  or  ten  knots.  She  carried  the  Swedish  man- 
of-war  flag  with  a  crowned  "O"  in  the  middle,  and  bore  this 
triumjilumtly  throiishout  a  voyap;e  which  stands  in  history 
as  the  first  circumuavigaliuii  of  Asia  and  Europe. 


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With  Nonlcuskjol.l  as  Ifuacr.  Licutfiiaiit  I'alaiidcr  coin- 
inuulcr  (.!'  tlu-  ship,  aiul  an  cnicicnt  staff  »)l"  oiluvis  and  scien- 
tists, wliich  in<hi(l(<l  such  men  as  Lieutenant  Ilornaanl  of 
the  lloval  Danisli  Navy,  for  suix'rintemh-nt  of  the  niajinetical 
and  inetcroionical  work,  F.  H.  Kjelhnan,  I'h.H.,  Docent  in 
Botany  in  the  Iniversity  of  I'psala,  and  Lieutenant  (1.  Ii<.re, 
of  the  Hoyal  Itidian  Navy,  superintendent  of  the  hydro- 
praphical  work,  the  Vajo  saile<l  from  ( iothenhurjj;  .July  4, 
LS7S,  in  company  with  her  convoy,  tlie  Lcim.  Tort  Dickson 
was  reached  on  the  luornin;!  of  Auf^ust  10.  and  nine  days  hiter 
(":i])eSereroor("lielyuskinin77°-n'  north  hititud(|.  Ofthis, 
the  most  northern  point  of  Siberia,  Nordenskjiild  writes  :  — 

"We  liad  now  readied  a  ^reat  s<>iil.  ^v^'""''  •"•"■  <'»'i»t>ir«"«  l»'i<l 
Leen  the  object  of  unsuccessful  struK}j;les.  For  the  first  time 
a  vessel  lay  tit  anchor  off  the  northernmost  cape  of  the  old 
world.  No  wontler  then  that  th(>  occurrence  was  celebrated 
by  a  disi)lay  of  fla^s  and  the  firing  of  salutes,  and  when  wo 
returned  from  our  (excursion  on  land,  by  festivities  on  board, 
by  wine  and  toast." 

"The  north  point  of  Asia  forms  a  low  promontory,  which  a 
bay  dividi's  into  two.  tlu«  <>astern  arm  i)ro.)ectiny;  a  littl(>  farther 
tothe  north  than  the  western.  A  ridj^e  of  hills  with  gently 
slopinji  sides  runs  into  the  land  from  the  eastern  point,  and 
appears  within  sij^ht  of  the  westi^rn  to  r(>ach  a  height  of 
three  hundred  metres.  Like  the  plain  lyinjs  below,  the  sum- 
mits of  this  ran««;e  were  nearly  free  of  snow.  Only  on  the  hill- 
sides or  in  deep  furrows  excavated  by  the  streams  of  melted 
snow,  and  in  dales  in  the  plains,  were  large  white  sno  v-fiehls 
to  be  seen.  A  low  ice-foot  still  remained  at  most  i)laces  alonf«; 
the  shore.  Bnt  no  j^lacier  rolled  its  bluish-white  ic(>-masses 
down  the  mountain  sich's.  and  no  inland  lakes,  no  perpen- 
dicular cliffs,  no  hiiih  mountain  summits,  gave  any  natural 
beauty  to  the  landscaiie.  which  was  the  most  monotonous 
and  tiie  most  desolatt'  I  have  seen  in  the  High  North." 


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VOYAGE  OF  TIIK  '"  VEGA 


305 


On  the  23d  the  Vega  was  again  stoaniing  forward  among 
the  fields  of  drift-ice.  The  (UfUeultie.s  of  voyaging  through 
unknown  waters  overliung  with  fogs  and  mists  may  better 
1)(!  understooil  l)y  an  anecdote  descrilj(>d  by  Nordenskjold, 
which  illustrates  how  completely  a  person  may  be  deceived 
by  size  and  (listanc(>  of  objects  :  — 

"One  can   scarcely,   without   having  experienced  it,"   ho 
writes,   "form  any  idea  of  the  optical  illusions,  which  are 
produced  by  mist,  in  regions  where  the  size  of  the  ol)jects 
which  are  visible  through  fog  is  not  known  beforehand,  and 
thus  does  not  give  the  spectator  an  idea  of  the  distance.     Our 
estimate  of  the  distance  and  size  in  such  cases  dep(>nds  wholly 
on  accident.      The    obscure    contours  of    the    fog-conc(>aled 
objects  themselves,  besides,  are  often  by  the  ignorance  of  the 
spectator  converted  into  whimsical  fantastic  forms.     During 
a  boat  journey  in  Hinlopen  Strait  I  once  intended  to  row 
among  drift-ice  to  an  island  at  a  distance  of  some  few  kilo- 
metres.    When  the  boat  started,  the  air  was  clear,  Init  while 
we  were  employed,  as  best  we  could,  in  shooting  sea-fowl 
for  dinner,  all  was  wrapt  in  a  thick  mist,  and  that  so  unexpect- 
edly, that  we  had  not  time  to  take  the  bearings  of  the  island. 
This  led  to  a  not  altogether  pleasant  row  by  guess  among 
the  pieces  of  ice  that  were  drifting  about  in  rapid  motion  in  the 
sound.     All  exerted  themselves  as  much  as  possil)le  to  get 
sight  of  the  island,  whose  beach  would  afford  us  a  safe  resting- 
place.     While  thus  occupied,  a  dark  border  was  seen  through 
the  mist  at  the  horizon.     It  was  taken  for  the  island  which 
we  were  bound  for,  and  it  was  not  at  first  considered  nnnark- 
aljle  that  the  dark  border  rose  rdi)idly,  for  we  thought  that 
the  mist  was  disjiersing  and  in  consequence  of  that  more  of 
the  land  was  visible.     Soon  two  white  snow-fields   that  we 
had  not  observed  Ijefore,  W(Te  seen  on  both  sides  of  the  land, 
and  inmiediately  after  this  was  changed  to  a  sea  monster, 
resembling  a  walrus-heatl  as  large  as  a  motmtain.    This 


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got  life  iind  motion,  and  finally  sank  all  at  once  to  the  head  of  a 
connnon  walrus,  which  lay  on  a  picrc  of  ico  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  boat  ;  the  white  tusks  formed  the  snow-fields 
and  the  dark  brown  round  head  the  mountain.  Scarce  was 
this  illusion  gone  when  one  of  the  men  cried  out,  'Land  right 
ahead  —  high  land!'  We  now  all  saw  before  us  a  high 
Alpine  region,  with  mountain  jjcaks  and  glaciers,  but  this  too 
sank  a  moment  afterwards  all  at  once  to  a  common  ice- 
border,  blackened  with  earth.  In  the  spring  of  1873  Phe- 
lander  and  I  with  nine  men  made  a  sledge  journ(>y  round 
Northeast  Land.  Li  the  course  of  this  journey  a  great  many 
bears  were  seen  and  killed,  ^\'llen  a  l)ear  was  seen  while  we 
were  dragging  our  sledge  forward,  the  train  commoidy  stood 
still,  and,  not  to  frighten  the  bear,  all  th(>  men  concealed  them- 
selves behind  the  sledges,  with  the  exception  of  the  marks- 
man, who,  sfjuatting  down  in  some  convenient  place,  waited 
till  his  prey  should  come  suflSciently  in  range  to  be  killed  with 
certainty. 

"It  happened  once  during  foggy  weather  on  the  ice  at 
Wahlenberg  Bay  that  the  l)ear  that  was  expected  and  had  been 
clearly  seen  by  all  of  us,  instead  of  approaching  with  his  usual 
supi)le  zigzag  movements,  and  with  his  ordinary  attempts  to 
nose  himself  to  a  sure  insight  into  the  fitness  of  the  foreigners 
for  food,  just  as  the  marksman  took  aim,  spread  out  gigantic 
wings  and  flew  awaj'  in  the  form  of  a  small  ivory  gull.  An- 
other tim(>  during  the  same  sledge  journey  we  heard  from  the 
tent  in  which  we  rested  the  cook,  who  was  emjiloyed  outside, 
cry  out,  'A  l)ear!  a  great  bear!  No!  a  reindeer,  a  very 
Uttle  reindeer!'  The  same  ins. ant  a  well-<lirected  shot  was 
fired,  and  the  bear-reindeer  was  found  to  be  a  very  small 
fox,  which  thus  paid  with  its  life  for  the  honour  of  having 
for  some  moments  played  the  part  of  a  big  animal.  From 
these  accounts  it  may  hv  seen  how  difficult  navigation  among 
drift-ice  nmst  !>(>  in  unknown  waters." 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  '•  VEGA 


307 


It  had  been  umlorstood  that  tho  Lena  would  accompany 
the  Vega  as  far  as  one  of  the  mouth-arms  of  tho  Lena  River. 
But  on  the  night  of  the  27th  of  August,  while  off  Tumat 
Islands,  all  coniUtions  being  favourable,  the  ships  parted  com- 
pany, after  Capiain  Johannesen  had  nn-eiveil  orders,  pass- 
ports and  letters  for  home.  "  As  a  parting  salute  to  our  trusty 
little  attendant  during  our  voyage  round  tlie  north  point  of 
Asia  some  rockets  wew;  fired,  on  which  we  steamed  or  sailed 
on,  each  to  his  destination." 

Following  an  easterly  course,  through  shallow  open  water 
the  Vega  all  but  made  the  Northeast  Passage  in  one  season. 
Toward  the  end  of  September,  however,  she  was  frozen  in 
off  the  shore  of  a  low  plain  or  tundra  in  G7°  71'  X.,  and  173° 
20'  W.,  near  the  settlements  of  the  Chuckches,  numbering 
about  tliree  hundred  souls.  The  open  water  which  to  a  late 
date  in  the  season  had  favoured  the  progress  of  the  expedition, 
was  accounted  for  by  the  volumes  of  warm  water  discharged 
into  the  Polar  Sea  during  the  summer  by  the  great  Siberian 
river  systems.  During  the  voyage,  valuable  natural  history 
collections  were  made,  and  the  sea  bottom  was  found  to 
abound  in  animal  and  vegetable  life. 

"When  we  were  beset,"  writes  Nordenskjold,  "the  ice  next 
the  shore  was  too  weak  to  carry  a  foot  passenger,  and  the 
difficulty  of  reaching  the  vessel  from  the  land  with  the  means 
which  the  Chuckches  had  at  their  disposal  was  thus  very 
great.  When  the  natives  observed  us,  there  was  in  any  case 
inmiediateh'  a  great  commotion  among  them.  ]\[en,  women, 
children,  and  dogs  were  seen  running  up  and  do\vn  the  beach 
in  eager  confusion  ;  some  were  seen  driving  in  dog-sledges  on 
the  ice  street  next  the  sea.  They  evidently  feared  that  the 
splendid  opportimity  which  here  lay  liefore  tliem  of  purchas- 
ing brand}-^  and  tobacco  would  be  lost.  From  the  vessel  we 
could  see  with  glasses  how  several  attempts  were  made  to  put 
out  boat«,  but  tliey  were  again  given  up,  until  at  last  a  bo.at 


1!^ 


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308 


r//i;  GREAT   WHITE  NORTH 


■was  got  to  a  lane,  cloar  of  icf  or  only  covorod  with  a  thin  shoot, 
that  ran  from  tho  .shore  to  tho  noij^hhourhood  of  the  vossol. 
In  this  a  hirgo  skin  l)oat  was  i)ut  out,  which  was  fiUod  brimful 
of  men  and  women,  regardless  of  the  evident  danger  of  navi- 
gating sueh  a  boat,  heavily  laden,  through  sharp,  newly 
formed  iee.  They  rowed  immediately  to  the  vess(>l,  and  on 
reaching  it  most  of  them  climbed  without  the  least  hesitatitm 
over  the  gunwale  with  jests  and  laughter,  and  the  cry  'anoaj, 
atuKij'  (good  day,  good  day). 

"Our  first  meeting  with  the  inhabitants  of  this  rog\.'n,  where 
wo  afterwards  passed  ten  long  months,  was  on  both  sides  very 
hearty,  and  formed  the  starting-point  of  a  very  friendly  rela- 
tion between  the  C'huckches  and  ourselves,  which  remained 
unaltered  during  the  whole  of  our  stay." 

"On  the  5th  of  October,"  continues  Nordonskjold,  "the 
openings  between  tho  drift-ice  fields  next  the  vessel  wcto 
covered  w'th  splendid  skating  ice,  of  which  we  availed  our- 
.selvos  by  celebrating  a  gay  and  joyous  festival.  The  ( 'huckche 
women  and  children  wore  now  soon  fishing  for  winter  roach 
along  the  shore.  In  this  sort  of  fishing  a  man,  who  alwaj's 
accom])anies  the  fisiiiiig  womep,  with  an  iron-shod  lance  cuts 
a  hole  in  tho  ice  so  near  tho  shore  that  tho  distance  botw(>on 
the  under  njrner  of  tho  hole  and  tho  bottom  is  only  half  a 
metre.  Each  hole  is  used  only  by  one  woman,  and  that  only 
for  a  short  time.  .Stooj^ing  df)wn  at  the  hole,  in  which  tho 
surface  of  the  water  is  kept  (juite  clear  of  pieces  of  ice  l»y  moans 
of  an  ice-sieve,  she  endeavours  to  attract  tho  fish  by  means  of 
a  pt  I'uliar,  wonderfully  clattering  cry.  First,  when  a  fish  is 
seen  in  the  water,  an  angling  lino,  provided  with  a  hook  of 
bono,  iron,  or  cop))er,  is  thrown  down,  strips  of  tho  entrails 
of  fish  being  employed  as  bait.  A  small  metre-long  staff 
with  a  single  or  double  crook  in  tho  end  was  also  usofi  as  a 
fishing  implement.  With  this  little  leister  tho  men  cast  up 
fish  on  the  ic«;  with  incre(Uble  dexterity." 


K, 


i 


i 


i 


I  ' 


i       :   ' 


1) 


RETlIiX  OF  TUE  "  VEGA 


309 


HuntiiiK  and  cxplorinj;  excursions  woro  sent  out  from  tho 
Veija  with  varjiu}^  success;  as  tiic  .seasons  tidvunced  the 
natives  were  tiireatened  with  the  usual  scarcity  of  food,  which 
was  hu-j^ely  reheved  !)y  the  fi;euerosity  of  the  Europeans.  A 
most  careful  and  thorough  study  was  made  of  thes(>  natives, 
their  characteristics,  mode  of  life,  manners,  speech,  and 
customs. 

On  July  IS,  the  Vega  was  liberated  from  the  ice,  after  hav- 
ing been  imprisoned  two  hundred  and  ninety-four  day.s. 

After  a  lai)se  of  three  hundred  aiid  twenty-six  years,  when 
Sir  Hugh  VVilloughl)y  made  the  first  attempt  at  a  northeast 
passage,  the  Vega  saileil  through  Behring  Strait,  July  20, 
1879,  being  the  first  vessel  to  penetrate  by  the  north  from 
one  of  the  great  world  oceans  to  another.  The  Vega  an- 
chonnl  at  Yokohama  on  the  evening  of  tho  2d  of  September. 

"On  our  arrival  off  Yokohama,"  writes  Nordenskjold,  "we 
were  all  in  good  health  and  the  Vega  in  excellent  condition, 
though,  after  the  long  voyage,  in  want  of  some  minor  rei)air, 
of  docking,  and  possibly  of  coppering.  Naturally  among  thirty 
men  some  mild  attacks  of  illness  could  not  be  avoided  in  the 
course  of  a  year,  but  no  disease  had  been  generally  i)revalent, 
and  our  state  of  lu'alth  had  constantly  been  excellent.  Of 
scurvy  we  had  not  seen  a  trace." 

From  Yokohama  the  news  of  the  Vegans  success  was  t(>le- 
graphed  throughout  tho  world,  and  the  homeward  journey 
of  the  ox]iedition,  via  Hong  Kong,  Singapore,  Suez,  Naples, 
Lisbon,  Cojionhagen,  to  Stockholm  was  one  of  triumphant 
progress  ;  each  country  trying  to  outdo  tho  others  in  giving 
a  royal  welcome  to  tho  gallant  explorers.  Tho  Vega  reached 
Stockholm  April  24,  1880,  after  a  journey  of  twenty-two 
thousand  one  hundred  eighty-nine  miles. 


1. 


i> 


I 


CHAPTER  XVII 

liritish  expedition  of  lS7o. — Tlic  Alai  and  Discotrri/. — Captain 
C.eoificS.  Narcs,  F.  R.  .S.,  Allnit  11.  Markliaui,  F.  R.CJ.  S.  —Two 
voyages  of  tlic  I'uiiiloru,  1S7")-1S7(J.  -  Sfliwatka's  search  for  the 
Franklin  records,  Is78-187y. 

TiiK  British  north  pohir  expedition  of  1875  comprised  the 
Alert,  a  seventeen-jjun  slooji,  lunl  the  Discover y,  originally  a 
Dundee    whaler.     Under    the    supervision    of    the    Admiral 

Superintendent  of 
the  Dockyard  at 
Portsmouth  (Sir 
Leopohl  INI'Clin- 
tock)  these  shij^s 
were  completely 
overhauled,  reen- 
forced,  and  admir- 
ably outfitted  for 
the  service  ex- 
pected of  them. 
Each  vessel  was 
supplied  with  nine 
boats  of  various 
sizes,  especially 
const  ructed  for 
service  in  Arctic 
waters.  Great 
care  was  exercised 

Bn  pcrmif^sum  of  The  IlhixtniUd  London  News.  ^^    Selection    of  of- 

Caplain  G.  S.  XariK,  F.  li.  S.  ficiTS    aiul     nu'U; 

31U 


CAPTAIX   GEORGE  S.    NARES,    F.  R.  S. 


811 


and  thoir  social,  moral,  and  physical  qualifications  woro  strictly 
inquired  into.  To  Captain  (Icor^c  S.  Xarcs,  F.  U.S.,  was 
intrusted  the  conunaml  of  the  expedition,  and  Commander 
Albert  H.  Markham  was  placed  second  in  command. 

On  the  afternoon  of  May  29,  187.'),  the  vessels  steamed 
out  of  Portsmouth  harbour.  At  S))ithead  the  scpiadron  was 
joinecl  hy  the 
V(ili>r()ii><,  which 
accompanied  the; 
shi|)s  as  far  as 
Disco.  After  a 
istormy  but  vm- 
eventful  voyage 
the  expedition 
stood  off  some 
distance  from 
Cape  Farewell 
June  25.  On  the 
27tii,  a  falling 
temi)erature  and 
a  i)eculiar  light 
blink  along  the 
horizon  gave  due 
notice  of  tiie  im- 
mediate  prox- 
imity of  the  ice. 
The  weather 
being  thick  and 
foggy,  extra  pre- 
cautions were  taken  to  avoid  collision  with  any  icebergs.  The 
following  morning,  the  high,  bold,  snow-capped  hills  near 
Cape  Desolation  were  sighted.  Seals  were  now  seen  basking 
lazily  on  the  ice,  and  l)irds  common  to  these  regions  hovered 
round  the  ships,  awakening  the  echoes  with  their  gladsome 


Bu  permission  of  The  Illustrated  London  News. 
Commander  A.  //.  Marktiam 


il 


& 


:512 


rilE  GliEAT    WHITE  NORTH 


m 


h     ■ 


crios.  On  July  1,  the  little  Danisii  scttlcnu'iit  of  Fiskcrnacs 
was  passed,  aiul  later  that  of  ( lodtliaab.  On  July  4,  the  Aretie 
c'in-le  was  crossed,  and  two  days  afterwards  the  exix'dition  was 
safely  landed  in  the  hay  of  Lievely,  off  (lodhavi-n;  the 
Inspector  and  inhabitants  f:;iviiiji  a  warm  and  hearty  welcome. 
Stores  were  now  taken  aboard  from  tin-  Vdlonms,  and  every 
jireparation  made  to  plunjie  into  the  frozen  north,  and  meet 
the  exj)eriences  of  a  loiiK  jxTiod  of  enforced  isolation. 

A  dense  fo}j;  soon  necessitated  makinji  tiieshii)s  fast  to  ice- 
bergs to  await  a  more  favourable  o|)i)ort unity  of  a<lvancin>^. 

"Whilst  attemjjtinjf  to  secure  the  ships,"  continues  Mark- 
ham,  "an  alarminf!;  catastrophe  occurrecl.  The  boat  had  been 
despatched  containing  three  men  with  the  necessary  imple- 
ments, such  as  an  ice  drill  and  anchor  for  making  the  vessel 
fast.  As  soon  as  the  first  blow  of  the  drill  was  delivered,  the 
berg,  to  our  horror,  sjjlit  in  two  with  a  hjud  rejiort,  one  half 
with  one  of  our  men  on  it  tojjpling  over,  whilst  the  other  half 
swayed  rapidly  backwards  and  forwards.  On  this  latter 
piece  was  another  of  our  men,  who  was  observed  with  his 
heels  in  the  air,  the  violent  agitation  of  the  berg  having  pre- 
cipitated him  heail  foremost  into  a  rent  or  crevasse.  The 
water  alongside  was  a  mass  of  seething  foam  and  spray,  but 
curious  to  relate,  the  boat  with  the  third  man  in  it  was  in  no 
way  injured.  They  were  all  speedily  rescued  from  their  peril- 
ous jiosition  and  brought  on  board,  sustaining  no  further  harm 
than  that  inflicted  by  a  cohl  bath.  Their  escape  appeared 
miraculous." 

On  the  19th  of  Jiily,  the  ships  came  to  anchor  off  the  Dani.sh 
settlement  of  Proven,  and  here  Hans  Hendrik,  the  Eskimo, 
dog-driver  and  hunter,  who  had  accompanied  so  many  expe- 
ditions to  Smith  Sound,  was  engaged.  Putting  to  sea  once 
more,  they  jxassed  the  headland  of  "Sanderson,  his  hope," 
the  21st  of  July,  anchormg  off  Upernavik  the  following 
morning. 


ALBERT  II.    MARKIIAM,    F.  R.  0.  S. 


81:'. 


Pushiiiu;  holtlly  throufjh  \hv  iniddlt-  ice,  the  pussiimc  through 
Mclvilh;  Hay  Wiis  safely  {iccoiiiplishcd  mid  the  Nortli  W'titcr 
rcufhcd  witlunit  incident.  Arrivmn  otT  the  Ciiry  Islands  on 
the  in()rninjj;  i»f  the  27tli,  a  cache  of  provisions  was  lande<l 
HUtficieiit  to  sustain  sixty  men  for  two  months.  Other  depots 
were  caclied  at  ('ape  Ilawkes  and  ("ape  Lincoln.  Hy  the 
28th  of  July  both  ships  came  to  anchor  at  I'ort  P\)ulke.  the 
winter  (juarters  of  Dr.  Hayes  in  IStiO.  An  excursion  from 
this  i)oint  was  taken  hy  Captain  Nares  and  ("ommander 
Markham  to  I.ife-hoat  Cove,  the  winter  (piarters  of  the  rem- 
nant of  the  Polfiris  crew  in  1872-lS7:i  Traces  of  that  expe- 
dition were  immediately  found  n\n}\\  landiim  ;  various  relics 
such  as  a  trunk,  an  old  basket  lined  witli  tin,  boxes,  .stores, 
pieces  of  wood,  n'm-barrels,  and  o<lds  and  ends  lay  strewn 
about.  .V  collection  was  made  of  such  articles  as  were  of 
any  value  for  the  purpose  of  returning  them  to  the  United 
States.  Nares  and  Markhtim  now  ])rocee(led  to  Littleton 
Island  in  the  ho[)es  of  finding  an  iron  boat  left  there  by  T^- 
Hayes  in  IStK).  Though  a  careful  search  was  made,  no  tra 
of  it  were  discovered. 

After  erecting  a  cairn  at  the  southwest  end  of  the  island  on 
a  hill  .some  five  or  six  hundretl  feet  above  sea  level,  from  which 
point  Cape  Sabine  and  C^ijie  Fraser  could  be  seen,  the  inter- 
vening distanc(>  navigal)le  o[)et\  water,  (!aptain  Nares  and 
Commander  Markham  congratulated  themselves  on  the 
prospect  of  rai)id  progress. 

.\  few  hours  after  the  r(>turn  to  the  ship  the  favourable  con- 
ditions suddenly  changed,  and  from  that  time  on  the  two  ships 
battled  with  the  ice-pack.  Hugging  the  west  sliore,  and  keei)- 
ing  free  from  the  main  i)ack  after  leaving  Cape  Sabine,  Cap- 
tain Nares  hardly  left  the  crow's-nest  in  his  heroic  efforts 
to  take  advantage  of  (>very  lead  and  opening. 

"Little  rest  was  enjoyed  by  any  on  these  days  during  which 
we  were  suljjecleii  to  the  waj^ward  %nll  of  the  pack,"  writes 


•nil 


314 


TlIK  imHAT    WIUTF.    SOllTll 


I 


(  uiiiinaiKltT  Markliiiiii.  On  tlic  l!)tli  of  Aiinusl,  lie  says, 
''  Duriiiji,  till'  last  tlirt't'  weeks  we  had  advaneed  exactly  ninety 
miles,  or  at  the  rate  of  ahoiit  four  and  a  (luarter  a  day.  This 
cannot  l)e  considered  a  rapid  rate  of  traveHiuK,  yet  to  acconi- 
l)li>h  even  this  ne<'essitated  a  constant  and  viKihmt  Ictokout." 

I'lishiiiK  their  way  stea(Hly  onward,  they  pa.-sed  ( "ape 
Lielxr  and  crossed  I.ady  Franklin  Hay.  On  the  2r)th  of  Au- 
gust, while  threa<liiij;  anions  the  ice-floes  that  bordered  the 
coast,  a  lierd  of  nmsk-oxen  were  seen  hrowsiny;  on  an  adjacent 
liill.  A  shooting  party  was  sent  ashore,  which  separated 
into  three  j)arties  ii])on  landinp;  and  advani-ed  cautiously 
toward  tlie  sjjot  where  the  animals  were  seen  ura/in^.  So 
successful  was  t!ie  hunt  that  twenty-one  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  pounds  of  fresh  meat  wasth;  result  )f  the  "morning's  ha;;." 

Tiie  harbour  in  which  the  ships  were  anchore<l  possess(>d  all 
the  necessary  (lualifications  for  comfortal)le  winter  (piarters, 
so  that  ("ajjtain  Nares  (h'cided  to  leave  the  Discovdij  and 
proceed  with  the  Alert.  Everything  having  })een  satisfactorily 
arranj^ed,  the  Alert  steamed  away  from  Discovery  Harbor 
on  the  morning  of  the  2()th,  pushing  her  cautious  way  along 
th(>  west  shore  of  Kemiedy  Channel.  "September  1st 
(IST*)),''  writes  Commander  !Markliam,  "must  always  be 
regarded  at  least  by  all  those  connected  with,  or  interested  in, 
Arctic  research,  as  a  red  letter  day  in  the  annals  of  naval 
enterjirise,  and  indeed  in  English  history,  for  on  thi.s  day 
a  T^ritish  man-of-war  reached  a  higher  northern  latitude  than 
had  ever  yet  been  reached  by  any  ship  (82°  2.')'  N.,  02°  W.), 
and  we  had  tlie  extreme  gratification  of  hoisting  the  colours 
at  noon  to  celebrate  the  event." 

After  rounding  Cape  Tnion,  the  coast  trended  away  to  the 
westward  of  north,  further  advance  became  impossil)le,  and 
the  Alert  found  herself  on  the  bleak  shores  of  th(»  Polar  Ocean. 
A  more  desolate  position  in  which  to  pass  the  winter  could 
hardly  Ik-  imagined. 


AlJIKItT  II.    MAItKUAM,   F.  R.  (..  .S. 


.'515 


"Without  a  harlK)ur,"  writes  Murklumi,  "or  projecting 
headland  of  any  description  to  protect  our  hckxi  ship  from  the; 
furious  nusts  that  we  must  naturally  ex|H'ct,  tlu'  AUrt  lay, 
apparently,  in  a  vast  frozen  ocean,  having;  land  on  on<'  side, 
Itut  l)ounded  on  the  other  by  the  cliaoti(  and  illimitalih' 
polar  pack." 

After  a  i)reliminary  sh-d^e  journey  to  ascertain  if  a  more 
sheltered  harbour  minht  be  sought,  it  was  decided  to  winter 
in  their  present  position.  Preparations  were  immediately 
made  to  .secure  the  shij)  to  "  Fhw-berj?  Reach,"  and  plans 
were  laid  out  for  autunm  slecljre  journeys  to  deposit  caches 
of  i)rovisions  for  the  following  sprinj;.  On  the  11th  of  Sep- 
tember, Markham,  Parr,  and  Emertim,  accompanied  by 
eighteen  men,  made  a  journey  northward  alonj;  the  proposed 
route  of  exploration,  for  the  puri)os»'  of  advancing  two  boats 
to  be  used  durinj;  future  '  dsjinj;  operations.  On  September 
2"),  Commander  Markham  vith  Lieutenants  Parr  and  May, 
assisted  by  memlKTs  of  the  crew,  s(>t  out  upon  another  jour- 
ney ;  they  reached,  October  4,  82°  .W  X.,  off  Cape  Joseph 
Henry,  and  a  ilepot  was  established.  The  return  journey 
became  most  irksome  and  laborious.  The  snow  had  accu- 
mulated to  such  a  depth  as  to  reniler  some  of  the  ravines  anil 
promontories  almost  impa.s.sable.  A  sudden  fall  in  tempera- 
ture produced  severe  frost-bit(fs.  On  the  14th  of  October,  in  a 
temperature  of  25°  below  zero,  the  exhausted  party  reacheil  the 
ship. 

Preparations  for  the  winter  having  be(>n  finished  and  the 
sledging  parties  all  having  returned,  there  was  little  left  co 
do  but  await  the  coming  of  the  sun,  which  was  absent  one 
hundred  and  forty-five  days,  during  which  officers  and  crew 
united  i.i  keeping  up  cheerful  spirits  and  gootl  health  by  the 
usual  exercise,  amusements,  and  routine  of  daily  duties. 

Early  in  March,  1876,  an  attempt  was  made  to  communi- 
cate with   the  Discovery.      Lieutenants   Egerton  and   Raw- 


M 


L 

i 

f  1 

9> 

m. 

«A| 

fi 

»• 

,1 

11 

> 

1^    K 


i 


^i 


ll  'if 

1^ 


^'ii 


:!1(; 


THE  GREAT    WHITE  yOIlTlI 


soil  were  sclt'ctcd  for  tliU  journey  ;iii<l  were  iiccompauiod  hy 
Petersen,  the  Danish  interpreter  uiul  sle(l<fe-(h'iver.  On  the 
12th  of  March,  in  a  teni])erature  of  Mf  helow  zero,  th(!  j)arty 
left  the  /l/e/7,  carryin}^  niessafj;es,  letters,  and  instructions  to 
those  aboard  the  sister  ship.  Tlie  temperature  fell  very  low 
soon  after  their  departur<',  and  on  th<>  third  day  they  unex- 
pectedly returned  with  the  poor  Dane  utterly  prostrate  and 
helpless  on  the  sle(l<i,('. 

"  I  caiuiot  do  Ix'tter  than  relate  the  sad  storj'  in  Lieutenant 
Ej^erton's  own  words,"  writes  Markhain.  ''We  read  in  his 
ofHcial  rejMjrt,  that  not  five  hours  after  they  had  left  the  ship 
'frost-bites  became  so  numerous,  that  I  thought  it  advisable 
to  encamp.'  This  was  only  the  l)e,i;innin<i;  of  the  story,  for 
they  appear  to  have  passed  a  comparatively  comfortable 
nij^ht.  At  any  rate  they  were  U])  earl^'  the  next  morninji; 
and  ajiain  under  weijili  ;  at  about  oiu;  o'clock,  when  they 
lialted  for  lunch,  Petersen  complained  of  cramp  in  his  stomach, 
and  was  <>;iveu  some  hot  tea.  He  had  no  apju'tite,  which 
perhai>s  was  as  well,  for  we  read  of  the  bacon,  which  is  always 
used  for  lunch:  'We  were  miable  to  eat  it,  beinji  frozen  so 
hard  that  we  could  not  i^et  our  teeth  throu<i;h  the  lean.'  They 
still  continued  their  journey,  encounlerinsi  some  very  rouj^h 
tr.'ivellinji;,  which  necessitated  severe  physical  lal)our  on  tlu; 
l)art  of  the  two  oflicers.  'The  dojis  were  of  little  or  no  use  in 
get  tinji;  across  tliese  sloixs,  as  it  was  impossible  to  jj;et  them  to 
go  U])  tlie  cliff,  and  Petersen  beiny;  unal)le  to  work,  Lieutenant 
Ruwson  and  I  had  to  get  the  sledge  along  as  best  we  could.' 
Towards  the  end  of  the  day  we  read:  'Petersen  began  to 
get  rather  wors'>,  and  was  shivering  all  over,  his  nose  being 
constantly  frost-bitten,  and  at  times  taking  five  or  ten  minutes 
before  the  circulation  could  be  thoroughly  restored.  Lieu- 
tenant Kawson  had  several  small  frt)st-i)ites,  and  I  escapetl 
with  only  one.' 

"On  lialting  for  tlie  niglit,"  continues  Mjirkli.'un,  "directly 


,  f  l- 


f  4 


Ve] 
t 

1 


:'!ii 


1,1  !J 


ALBERT  11.   MAIiKlIAM,   F.  li.  G.  S. 


317 


the  tont  WHS  pitched,  they  sent  Petersen  inside  with  strict 
injunctions  to  sliiit  his  foot  gear  and  get  hiU)  his  sle(>ping  l)ag, 
whilst  thoy  l^usied  themselves  in  preparing  supper  ami  attend- 
ing to  the  dogs  ;  l)ut  when  they  entered  the  tent  they  found 
'that  he  had  turned  in  without  slutting  his  foot  gear,  was 
groaning  a  good  deal,  and  complaining  of  cramp  in  the 
stomach  and  legs.' 

"Having  made  him  change,  they  gave  him  some  tea,  and 
then  administered  a  few  drops  of  sal  volatile,  which  appeared 
to  give  the  poor  hallow  a  little  ease.  The  next  morning,  the 
wind  war  so  high  and  their  ])atient  in  such  a  weak  state  that 
they  (lid  not  think  it  i>rudent  to  attemjit  a  start.  He  had 
passed  a  cry  restless  night,  and  still  complained  very  much 
of  cramp.  Later  in  the  day  he  ai)peare(l  to  get  worse,  'shak- 
ing and  .shivering  all  ()V(>r  and  breathing  in  short  ga.sps.  His 
face,  liands,  and  feet  were  all  frost-bitten,  t\w  latter  severely, 
and  he  had  jxiins  in  his  sid(^  as  well.' 

"After  restoring  the  circulation  tiny  rubbed  him  with 
warm  flanm^ls  and  placed  one  of  their  comfo.ters  round  his 
stomach.  In  such  a  wn^tched  state  was  the  poor  h  How  that 
they  agreed  it  would  endanger  his  life  if  they  ])r()cee(led  on 
their  journey,  and  that  when  the  weather  moderated,  the  only 
course  tluy  could  i)iirsue  was  to  return  with  all  haste  to  their 
ship. 

"As  it  was  imi)ossible  to  keep  their  patient  warm  in  the 
t(Mit,  these  two  young  officers  burrow(>d  a  hole  in  a  snow-drift, 
and  into  this  cavity  they  transjiorted  the  sick  man,  thems(>lves, 
and  all  their  tent  robes,  closing  the  aiirrture  by  i>lacing  over 
it  the  tent  and  sledge.  They  deprived  themselves  of  their 
own  clothing  for  the  benefit  of  the  invalid,  whose  frozen  feet 
they  actually  placed  inside  their  clothes  in  dinn't  contact 
with  their  bodies,  until  th(Mr  own  heat  was  extracted  and  thf\y 
were  themselves  severely  frost-bitten  in  various  j)arts.  The 
poor  fellow  was  now  in  a  veiy  low  state ;    he  could  retain 


'ii 


' 


-1 


'.i\ 


318 


TUE  GREAT    WHITE  yORTII 


i 

t-5 


ncitluT  food  nor  liquid.  About  G  p.m.  ho  was  very  had  ; 
tliis  time  wonsc  tlian  before.  There  appeared  to  be  no  heat 
in  him  of  any  kind  whatever,  and  he  had  acute  pain.s  in  the 
stomach  antl  back.  *  Wo  chafed  him  on  the  stomach,  hands, 
face,  and  feet,  and  when  ho  got  better  wrap])ed  liim  up  in 
everything  warm  we  could  lay  our  hands  upon,'  namely  their 
own  clothing,  which  tliey  could  ill  affonl  to  lose  ;  but  they 
(>ntirely  forgot  their  own  coniiition  in  their  endeavours  to 
ameliorate  that  of  their  comrade.  Lighting  their  spirit 
lamji  and  carefully  closing  every  crevice  by  which  the  cold 
air  could  enter,  they  succeeded  in  raising  the  temperature  of 
the  interior  to  7°;  but  'the  atrnosi)lu're  in  the  hut  became 
somewhat  thick.'  This  was,  however,  preferal)le  to  the 
intense  cold.  Let  us  follow  the  story  out,  and  learn  how 
nobly  these  two  officers  tended  their  sick  and  suffering  com- 
panion. '  We  were  constantly  asking  if  he  was  warm  in  his 
feet  and  hands  to  which  he  rej)lie(l  in  the  afHrmative  ;  but 
lu'foro  making  him  comfortable'  (fancy  being  comfortable 
under  such  circumstances)  'for  the  night,  we  examined  his 
feet,  and  found  them  ])oth  perfectly  gelid  and  hard  from  the 
toes  to  the  ankle,  his  hands  nearly  as  bad.  So  each  taking  a 
foot  wo  set  to  work  to  warm  them  uith  our  hands  and  flannels, 
as  each  hand  and  flannel  got  cold  irarmirui  them  ahoul  our 
pvrsnnf<,  and  also  lit  up  the  spirit  lamp.  Tr.  about  ■^wo  hours 
we  got  his  feet  to,  anfl  put  thom  in  warm  foot  gear,  cut  his  bag 
down  to  allow  him  more  room  to  move  in,  and  then  wrappcnl 
him  up  in  the  spare  coverlet.  His  hand>;  wo  also  brought 
round  and  bound  them  up  in  flannel  wrappers,  with  mitts 
over  all.  Oavo  him  some  warm  tea  and  a  little  rum  and  water, 
which  he  threw  up.  Shortly  after  T  found  him  eating  snow, 
which  we  had  strictly  forbidden  once  or  twice  before.  In 
endeavouring  to  do  this  again  during  the  nigtit,  he  dragged  his 
feet  out  of  the  covering ;  but  only  a  few  minutes  could  have? 
elapsed  before  this  was  detected  by  Lieutenant  Rawson,  who, 


RETURN  TO   TUE  SHIP 


319 


upon  examining  his  feet  found  them  in  much  the  same  state 
as  before.  We  rubbed  and  chafed  them  again  for  over  an 
hour,  and  when  circulation  was  restored  wrapped  him  uj) 
again,  and  so  passed  the  third  night.' 

"  On  the  following  morning  Petersen  appeared  to  he  slightly 
better,  so  thinking  it  was  preferable  to  run  the  risk  of  taking 
him  back  as  he  was,  rather  than  to  pass  another  such  night  as 
the  last,  they  put  him  on  the  sledge  ;  and,  having  hurriedly 
oaten  their  breakfast,  they  started  for  the  ship  with  all  de- 
spatch. They  luut  a  rough  journey  before  them  of  eighteen 
miles  ;  but  they  knew  it  was  a  case  of  life  and  tleath,  and  they 
encouraged  the  dogs  to  their  utmost  speed.  The  dogs,  being 
homeward  bound,  were  willing  enough  and  needed  little 
p(M-suasion,  so  that,  for  a  time,  they  rattled  along  at  a  good 
pace.  But  actual  progress  could  not  have  been  very  rapid, 
for  we  read  in  Egerton's  report  that  the  patient's  'circulation 
was  so  feeble  that  his  face  and  hands  were  constantly  frost- 
bitten, entailing  frequent  stoppages  whilst  we  endeavoured  to 
restore  the  affected  parts.'  The  difficulties  of  the  homeward 
journey  may  be  gathered  from  the  following  extracts:  'On 
arriving  at  the  Black  Cape  we  had  to  take  the  patient  off  the 
sledge,  and  while  one  assisted  him  round,  the  other  kept  the 
dogs  back,  for  by  this  time  they  knew  they  were  homeward 
bound,  and  required  no  small  amount  of  trouble  to  hold  in. 
After  getting  the  sledge  round  and  restoring  Petersen's 
hands  and  nose  (which  were  almost  as  bad  again  a  few  minutes 
after),  and  securing  him  on  the  sledge,  we  again  set  off.  At 
the  cape  the  same  difficulties  were  experienced,  in  fact, 
rather  more,  for  the  sledge  took  a  charge  down  a  "ditch," 
about  twenty-five  feet  de(>p,  turning  right  over  three  times 
in  its  descent,  and  out  of  which  we  had  to  drag  it,  and  while 
clearing  harness  (which  employed  us  l)oth,  on(>  to  stand  in 
front  of  the  dogs  with  the  whip,  while  the  other  cleared  the 
lines),  the  dogs  made  a  sudden  bolt  past  Lieutenant  liawson. 


I 


Jt 


320 


77/ /v   GREAT    WHITE  NOliTII 


who  WHS  in  front  witli  tlic  whip,  and  (h-af!;K<'<l  ni(<  more  than 
a  hun(h-('(l  yards  hct'orc  we  could  stop  them.  At  h'ny;th..  after 
the  usual  process  with  Petersen  (that  of  tluiwinj;;  his  liands  and 
nose,  which  we  did  every  time  we  ch-ared  liarness,  or  it  was 
actually  necessary  to  stop),  we  jj;ot  away,  thankful  that  our 
trouhles  were  over.  The  do^s  fi;ot  their  harness  into  a  dread- 
ful entanj^h'inent  in  their  excitement  to  f>;et  home,  hut  we  W(  re 
afraid  to  clear  them  l(>st  they  should  break  away  from  us, 
or  cause  us  any  del;i\-,  as  W{>  were  both  naturally  anxious  to 
return  with  the  utmost  ^\)vvi\  to  the  shii),'and  so  relieve  our- 
selves of  the  serious  r(^si)onsil)ility  occ;isione(l  by  the  V(My 
precarious  state  in  which  our  patient  was  lyinj!;.  I'pon  arriv- 
ing aloufiside  at  (IsiO  p.m.,  we  were  very  thankful  that 
Petersen  was  able  to  answer  us  when  we  informed  him  he 
was  at  home.' 

"  In  conclusion  Lieutenant  Egerton  says:  — 

"'I  regret  exceedingly  tliat  I  have  been  compelled  to  re- 
turn to  the  ship  without  having  accomi)lished  my  journey  to 
H.M.  S.  Disconrif ;  but  I  trust  that  what  I  have  done  will 
meet  with  your  approval,  and  that  tlie  course  I  adoptetl  may 
b(^  the  means  of  having  lessened  the  very  serious  and  ilistress- 
ing  condition  of  Petersen.'  " 

Poor  Petersen  nov(>r  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his 
terrible  exi:)erience.  He  grailually  sank  and  died  peacefully, 
on  the  14th  ef  May. 

The  work  of  these  two  l)rave  young  officers  on  this  oc- 
casion stands  out  conspicuously  amongst  tlie  many  deeds  of 
daring  and  devotion  with  which  th(>  annals  of  Arctic  adventure 
abound.  Five  days  after  their  r(>turn  to  the  ship  (20th  of 
March)  the  same  two  officers,  accompanied  by  a  couple  of 
sailors  and  a  sledge  drawn  by  seven  dogs,  started  once  more 
for  the  Disciivcrn.  After  five  days  of  a  toilsome  journey 
rendered  all  the  more  severe  by  intense  cold,  they  reached  the 
ship  and  were  warmly  welcomed  by  her  officers  and  crew. 


I 


/  n 


u 


n 


>\ 


■■I 

si 


11 


■!;i 
r 


UKTlltS    TO   THE  snip 


'S-21 


Tlu'  serious  slcdpiiifj;  work  of  tlio  expedition  was  uiulertaken 
as  early  in  the  season  as  April  li,  in  a  temperature  of  :V.i'^ 
below  zero.  Seven  sletl^cs  under  the  eoinniand  of  Markliain 
and  Aldrieh  and  manned  hy  a  foree  of  fifty-three  officers  an(i 
men  started  on  that  day  for  the  lon^-eherished  object  of  reach- 
ing the  Pole  and  of  explorinjj;  the  northern  shores  of  (Jrinnell 
Land.  "On  the  second  day  out,"  writes  Markham,  "the 
temjx'rature  fell  to  40°  below  zero,  or  77°  below  freezing;  jjoint. 
The  cold  then  was  so  intense  as  to  deprive  us  of  sle-  p,  tlie 
temperature  inside  the  tent  beinj;  as  low  as  —2.")°,  the  whole 
period  of  n^stinj^  bein^  occupied  in  attemptiuff  to  keep  th(> 
l)lood  in  circulation.  Several  frost-bites  were  sustained, 
but  they  were  all  attended  to  in  time,  and  resulted  in  nothing 
worse  than  severe  and  very  uncomft)rtable  blisters." 

By  the  lOtli  of  Ai)ril  the  depot  of  piovisions  estal)lishe(l 
near  Cajx'  Jos(>ph  Henry  during  the  autunui  was  found  un- 
disturbed. At  this  point  the  sui)i)orting  sledges  returned  to 
the  ship  and  the  two  divisions  sei)arated  and  advanced  on 
their  solitarj-  missions.  The  northern  divisiiMi  under  Mark- 
ham,  with  two  heavily  laden  sledges  and  seventeen  men, 
leaving  land  puslied  straight  out  into  the  rugged  ixjlar  pack. 
Handicai)ped  by  the  two  boats  which  they  carried,  and  in 
dread  of  an  open  polar  sea.  they  advanced,  after  abandoning 
one  of  the  boats,  seventy-three  miles,  but  the  advance  being 
made  with  divide(l  loads,  more  than  two  hundred  seventy-six 
miles  was  actually  covered.  Keaching  the  farthest  north  up 
to  that  iime,  83°  20'  X.,  M°  W.,  May  12,  1S7(),  the  depleted 
condition  of  the  party  and  the  rugged  conditions  of  the  ice- 
floes, forced  the  gallant  Markham  to  retreat. 

"It  is  unnecessary  to  descril)e,"  writes  ^larkham,  "the 
incidents  that  occurred  on  (>ach  successive  day  during  the 
return  journey.  Snow  fell  heavily,  during  the  greater  part 
of  the  return  journey,  and  fogs  were  xi'vy  ]ircval''nt.  Oah's 
of  wind  had  to  be  endured,  for  to  halt  was  out  of  the  question 


ii-2i 


THE  a  I!  KM    WIIITK  SoUTri 


'■  h 

■'', 


s 


.     s 


—  n'<t  tlicrc  was  none  onwanl  was  tlir  order  of  the  day. 
As  thr  discax'  uraihially  a»iiiii('d  the  mastery  over  tlic  party, 
so  did  tlic  ai)|)ctitt's  dc(  rea>c,  ami  in  a  very  alariniiij>;  inaiiiicr, 
until  it  was  witli  tlic  jircatest  ditliculty  that  anybody  could  he 
induced  to  eat  at  all.  Iii>tead  of  each  man  di^posin^  of  one 
pound  of  penunicau  a  day,  the  same  ([Uantily  sufficed  for  the 
entire  party  in  (»ne  tent  ;  ami  even  this,  occasionally,  was  i.ot 
consunieil.  Nor  was  the  subject  of  eating  and  drinkin;;  >o 
often  discussed.  Durinii  die  out  ward  journey,  heefsteaks  and 
onions,  mutton  chops  and  new  [lotatoes,  and  liass's  lieer, 
foi'med  the  chief  topics  of  conversation.  On  (he  return  jour- 
ney they  were  scarcely  allutlcd  to.  Hunger  was  i.ever  felt  ; 
hut  we  were  all  assailed  hy  an  intolerahlc  thirst,  which  could 
only  !)(•  appeased  at  meal  times,  or  after  the  temperature  was 
.sufficiently  hij;h  to  admit  of  (luenciiinj!;  our  thirst  hy  ijultinp; 
icicles  into  our  mouths." 

On  the  27th  of  May  the  condition  of  the  party  was  so 
critical  that  it  Itecame  evident  tliat  to  insure  their  reachiiiR 
the  ship  alive  the  sledj^es  must  he  considerahly  lif>;litened. 
Five  men  were  utterly  unahle  to  move,  and  were  conse(iuoutly 
carried  on  the  sledy;es,  five  more  were  almost  as  lu'lpless, 
hut  insisted  on  hohhlin^  aftei  the  sled^res.  Three  others  woro 
showin;;  d(>cided  scorhutic  symi)toms,  leaving  onl^'  two 
officers  an<l  two  men,  who  could  he  consich'red  efYective. 

Terra  firma  was  reached  on  May  5,  hut  the  i)arty  wore  in 
such  a  deplorable  condition  that  thoufih  only  forty  miles 
remained  hetween  them  and  the  ship  their  progress  wa.s  .so 
.slow  that  it  would  take  them  fully  three  weeks  to  cover  the 
distanc(\  and  hy  that  time  who  would  he  left  alive?  A.s,sist- 
ance  had,  then-fore,  to  lie  obtained. 

"To  procure  it,"  writ(^s  Couuiiander  Markham,  "one 
amongst  us  was  reaily  and  willing  to  set  out  on  this  lonely  and 
solitary  mission  with  the  firm  n-liance  of  being  able  to  ac- 
complish what  he  had  undertaken,  and  with  the  knowletlge 


AJ.IlKirr  II.   MA II K II AM,    /•'.  /.'.  a.  s 


32:5 


that  ho  possessed  th<'  full  ('((nrKlencc  of  those  for  whoso  relief 
he  \v:ls  ulioiit  to  >tart  on  ;i  loiiti  ;iiul  liiizanlous  walk.  On  the 
7th  of  June,  Lieutenant  I'arr  started  on  his  arduous  march  to 
the  ship.  Deep  an<l  heartfelt  were  the  (!(»d-speeds  uttered 
as  he  took  his  departure,  and  anxiously  was  his  retreat inu; 
form  watched  until  it  was  gradually  lost  to  sif^ht  amid.st  tin- 
interminalile  hummocks." 

The  followinv;  day  one  of  their  numlier  died,  and  was 
buried  ne;ir  l)y.  The  saddeu'd  and  sufferinji;  |)arty  now  left 
this  <lesolate  .spot  and  ma(h'  un  attempt  to  push  on  toward 
the  ship. 

"On  the  morninji;  of  the  0th,"  writes  Markliam,  "a  rainhow 
was  seen,  which,  hein^  an  unusual  sij:;ht,  afforded  nuich 
interest.  On  the  same  day,  shortly  after  the  march  had  been 
commenced,  a  moving  object  was  suddenly  seen  amidst  the 
hummocks  to  the  southward.  At  first  it  was  regarded  as  an 
optical  illusion,  for  we  could  scarcely  realize  the  fact  that  it 
could  lie  anybody  from  the  AUrt.  With  what  intense  anxi- 
ety this  object  was  regarded  is  beyond  description.  (Iradu- 
ally  einerfiinji  from  the  hmnmocks.  a  hearty  cheer  put  an  end 
to  the  suspense  that  was  almost  agonizinp;,  as  a  doji-sledge 
with  three  men  was  seen  to  bo  ai>proachinK.  A  cheer  in 
return  was  attemjjtod,  but  so  full  were  otu'  hearts  that  it  re- 
sembled moro  a  wail  than  a  choer.  It  is  inipossitile  to  describe 
our  feelinf:;s  as  May  and  Moss  came  up,  and  we  received 
from  them  a  warm  and  hearty  welcome.  We  felt  that  we  wore 
savo(l,  and  a  feelinv;  of  thankfulness  and  p:ratiiude  was  ujiper- 
niost  in  our  minds,  as  we  shook  the  hands  of  those  who  had 
hurried  out  to  our  relief  tlu-  moment  that  Parr  had  convoyed 
to  thorn  intelliijence  of  our  distress.  Those  who  a  few  short 
moments  liefore  wore  in  the  lowest  depths  of  desjiondency 
api)eared  now  in  the  most  oxulierant  spirits.  Pain  was  dis- 
rcjiarded  ;md  !iards}iij>^  were  forgotten  as  numerous  and 
varied  questions  were  asketl  and  answered. 


i 


( 


rl 


■•"} 


824 


Tilt:  (.lif.M   nil  in-:  yoitni 


SI 


»■ 


J' 

■i5 


"We  lic:ii«l  witli  ilclinlil  tliiit  they  were  only  the  vanpiurd 
of  a  larger  party,  litatlcd  liy  ( 'aptaiii  Narcs  liiiM>(lt',  that  was 
(•(imiiij:;  out  to  our  itlitl,  aixl  wliicli  \vc  slioiihl  prol)al)ly 
lutct  oil  tlif  tollowiiifi  (lay.  A  halt  was  iiuincdiatcly  ordered, 
cookiiin  ut(ii>ils  lii;ht('d  up,  ice  iiiadf  into  water,  and  we  were 
.Mtoii  all  eiiJo\iiiji  a  ^ood  pamiikiii  lull  ot"  lime-juice,  with  the 
pnopeet    of  iiuiltoii   for  supper!" 

On  the  1  Ith  of  .luiie,  after  seventy-two  days  of  travel  and 
hardship.  ( 'oniiiiamler  Markhain's  |)arly  reached  the  Ahrt. 
Out  of  lifteeii  men,  one  had  none  to  his  loii^  home,  eleven 
others  were  carried  alonji>ide  the  ship  on  sledges,  the  remain- 
inu;  three  liarely  al>le  to  lioKMe  iihoard. 

".V  more  th(»rou^h  break-up  of  a  healthy  and  strong  hody 
of  men  it  would  lie  dillicult  to  conceive,"  comments  Markham. 
"Not  only  had  the  men  eiij-apMl  in  the  extended  party  under 
my  command  heeii  attacked  with  scurvy,  hut  also  those  who 
had  Keen  absent  from  the  ship  only  for  short  periods,  and  some 
who  may  Ite  said  never  to  have  left  the  ship  at  all,  or  if  they 
dill,  only  for  two  or  three  days  !  The  seeds  must  have  been 
sown  durinu;  the  time,  nearly  five  months,  that  the  sun  was 
absent,  and  we  were  in    larkness." 

The  serious  condition  of  the  crew  of  the  Alert  determined 
Captain  Xares  to  publicly  announce  on  the  IGth  of  June  that 
immediately  upon  the  return  of  the  other  sledfje  parties  he 
would  rejoin  the  Discon rif,  transfer  all  the  invalids,  and  send 
the  ship  home.  The  Ahrf  would  remain  a  second  winter  at 
I'ort  Foulke,  and  in  the  sprinji  slediic  j)arties  would  endeav- 
our to  exjilore  Hayes  Sound  and  the  adjacent  lands,  after 
which  the  Ah  it  would  return  to  Kiij^land.  This  chei  rful 
news  did  much  to  restore  the  invalids  to  conv.alescence,  and 
immetliately  a  chan}j;e  for  the  better  was  noticeil  among  all 
hands. 

("onsideral)le  anxiety  was  felt,  however,  for  Lieutenant 
Aldrich'a  party.     Although  his  route  was  along  the  coast-line, 


ALItEllT  II.    MA II h' II AM,   F.  II.  tl.  s. 


:J:i.) 


and  it  was  hoped  that  a  sii|>j)ly  ot"  hurcs,  ncoc,  and  porliaps 
iimsk-<»xrn  mij;lit  ocrasiuiially  Ix'  .siM-iind,  every  one  knew 
tluit  his  ,>.upply  ol  |)r(>vi.si()n,s  was  all  l)iit  exhausted,  and  for  the 
purpose  of  his  rehef  a  party  ui  three  men  umler  Lieutenant 
May  left  the  sliip  June  1)S. 

Tiie  intervening  time  until  Sunday,  .linie  2."»,  was  one  of 
great  coneern  to  all  on  hoard;  on  that  day  the  wanderers 
were  seen  strun>;linn;  throuy;h  the  huimnoeks  some  .-ix  or  seven 
miles  ofT.  A  relief  party  immediately  left  the  shij)  ami  hroujiht 
the  men  on  hoard.  All  hut  two  were  sulferinjf  from  scurvy. 
Only  Lieutenant  Aldrieh  and  two  men  were  ahle  to  walk  alouK- 
sidc  the  ship,  and  one  of  these  was  in  a  eritieal  condition  for 
many  weeks  after.  They  had  Ixen  alwnt  from  the  ship 
eighty-four  days,  having  exploreil  two  hundre<l  twenty 
miles  of  new  coast.  Passin<j;  (ajM-  (  olumhia,  Si^  07'  N., 
Lieutenant  Aldrieh  reached  his  farthest  point  on  the  iSth  of 
-May,  187(),  in  82°  10'  X.,  Hl^  W.,  at  Cape  Alfred  llrnst. 

It  now  lu'came  the  arduous  work  of  the  few  members  of  the 
ship's  company  who  were  in  jjood  health  to  minister  to  the 
mnnerous  invalids,  })repare  the  ship  for  leavhiK  winter  ([Uar- 
tcrs  as  soon  as  th(>  ice  would  jxTmit,  and  make  hunting  trips 
in  search  of  fresh  meat,  so  essential  to  the  cure  of  scurvy 
patients. 

On  the  31st  of  July,  a  fresh  southw(>sterly  wind  had  hlown 
the  pack  ofT  the  shore,  a  clear  channel  of  open  water  to  the 
southward  was  hailed  with  d«>liKht,  the  throi)l)in}i  of  the  en- 
gines told  the  men  that  liberation  was  at  hand,  and  the  Ahrl 
hade  farewell  to  her  north(>rn  home.  Progress  was  slow,  and 
threatened  "nii)s"  in  the  short  journey  to  the  Dlscmrnj  tried 
the  patience  of  the  cr(>w,  but  on  August  ."),  while  yet  twenty 
miles  distant  from  the  sister  ship,  Rawson  and  two  of  the 
men  of  the  Discovery  came  on  board. 

"We  were,  of  course,  delighted  to  see  them  and  to  hear 
neus  of  our  consort, "  writes  Commander  I\Lirkluun.     ''From 


hi 


I 


'. 


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THE  i.HL'Ar    Willi  K   MiUTll 


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lliriii  we  learnt  tliat  ])()or  I*]}i;('rt()ii  had  lost  his  way,  and  did 
lint  aiii\c  on  ixiard  their  .-hip  until  after  he  hail  lieeii  waiider- 
iui;  ahout  tor  eii;hteen  iioiirs  !  The  news  from  the  Disvuvvry 
was  what  we  feared.  Xot  wit  list  andiiij;'  the  larfi;e  amount  of 
musk-ox  llesh  pi'oeurcd  hy  them  duriiif;  the  autumn  and 
following'  suninier,  scurvy  had  attacked  her  crew  in  almost 
the  same  virulent  manner  as  it  had  ours.  The  return  jour- 
neys of  some  of  tlieir  >le(lge  j)arlies  were  simi)ly  a  rep(!titiou 
of  our  own.  lieaumont's  division—  the  one  e\i)lorin}>;  tlio 
northwestern  coast  t)f  (ire(Uiland —  had  suffered  very  s(>ver(>ly, 
:i\:  1  we  heanl  with  extreme  rejiret  that  two  of  his  small  l)arty 
had  siiccuinhed  to  this  Kirilile  disease.  The  rest  of  his  men, 
vitli  himself  and  Dr.  C'opping'er,  had  not  yet  returned  to  the 
Disfan  rij,  haviiiji  remained  in  Polaris  I?ay  to  recruit  their 
healths.  This  was,  indeeil,  a  hitter  endins";  to  our  si)rinf; 
campaiiiii,  on  wliieh  we  had  all  set  out  so  full  of  enthusiasm 
and  ho])e.  It  had  the  el'ect,  however,  of  coiifirminu;  Captain 
Xan's  in  his  roolution  to  proceed  to  England." 

The  excellent  work  done  hy  the  sledging  parties  from  the 
J)l.'<C(ircr!j  may  i)e  summed  u|)  as  follows  :  Lieutenant  Archer 
had  made  a  thorough  survey  of  Archer  Fiord  ;  Dr.  C"o])]>ingcr 
liad  visited  reterinaim  I'iord,  and  Lieutenan*^  L.  A.  lieauinont 
made  exten-ive  exphtraticjiis  of  the  CJreenland  coast.  lie 
had  travelled  to  Kepulse  Harbour,  following  the  coast  to 
Caiie  ?)rvaiit,  pushing  his  way  across  ShiTard  Oshorn  I'iord, 
he  had  left  all  Itut  one  man  to  recujierate  and  travelled  with 
his  ^illgle  companion  as  far  on  the  eastern  sliore  as  S'J"^  20'  X., 
hi"  ^^'..  which  he  reached  -May  20,  l(S7(i.  The  return  journey 
^vas  a  fight  for  life  against  the  encroachments  of  scurvy  ; 
a  relief  party  under  Lieutenant  Kawson  and  Dr.  Copj^inger 
saved  the  party,  hut  two  men  died  at  Hall's  old  quarters  at 
'lliaiik  ( lod  Harlior. 

The  tw(t  -hips  now  fnught  the  good  fight  against  the  ice 
on  tlieir  homeward  jouinty,  boring,  charging,  and    towing  .is 


TWO    V<tyAf;KS   OF  TllK  "PAXDOHA 


no 


•11 


occasion  r<Hniin<l.  "It  \v;is  with  no  sir.all  amount  of  thank- 
fulness," wi'itcs  Markham,  "tliat  on  the  Uth  of  Scptcnibcr 
we  cincrficd  from  the  cold  fj;rini  clutches  that  seemed  only  too 
ready  to  detain  us  for  another  winter  in  the  realms  of  the  Ice 
Kinj!;,  and  that  we  felt  our  ship  rise  an<I  fall  once  more  on  the 
bosom  of  an  undoultt'Mi  o,  v'.-iii  ?we!l." 

( )n  th(>  2!)th  of  ()ct<  i<t,  !S7<'>,  ( he  t  wo  ships  reached  Queens- 
town,  liavini;  jiassed  Mh-  Pdinlnni  m  mid-ocean.  The  two 
voyjjMcs  of  this  jialhuu  iiltle  ship  will  now  be  taken  U]). 

"The  objects  of  the  first  voyaj^c  of  the  Pamhirn  in  1875," 
writes  Sir  Allen  Vounji,  "were  to  visit  the  western  coast  of 
(Ircenhmd,  thence  to  jiroceed  throu<i'h  Baflin  Sea,  Lancaster 
Sound,  and  Barrow  Strait,  towards  the  Magnetic  Pole,  and 
if  practicaiile  to  navigate  throuj^h  the  Northwest  Passaf?(>  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean  in  one  season.  .Vs,  in  following  this  route, 
the  Pandorti  would  pass  King  William  Island,  it  was  i)roposed, 
if  successful  in  reaching  that  locality,  in  the  summer  season 
when  the  snow  was  off  the  land,  to  make  a  search  for  further 
records  and  for  the  journals  of  the  ships  lurbu.s  and  Tcrmr.'^ 

The  Pandora  was  rigged  as  a  barkeiitine,  and  carried 
right  boats,  including  a  steam  cutter  and  three  whale-boats. 
Her  officers  and  crew  numbered  thirty-one  men,  with  Captain 
Young  in  command.  The  e>:j)enses  of  the  expedition,  and  the 
purchase  and  e(iuipment  of  the  Pandora,  wer(>  undertaken  by 
Sir  Allen  Young,  assisted  by  contributions  from  Lady  Franklin 
and  Mr.  .James  (Jordon  Bennett,  who  was  second  in  commaiul. 

On  the  27th  of  .June,  187."),  the  Pandora  sailed  from  Plym- 
outh, and  by  .July  19,  stood  in  latitude  .")8°  ."iS'  X..  longitude 
'iV  ;«'  W.;  by  the  28th  of  .July  the  first  icebergs  were  en- 
cou!itered.  The  following  day  they  saw  the  first  SpitzlxTgen 
ice.  At  noon  the  same  day  th(>  land  about  Cape  Desolation 
could  be  plainly  ^k^vw  whenever  the  fog  lifted. 

Soon  after  they  stood  ofT  the  entrance  of  Arsuk  Fiord: 
this  coast  is  the  Wed  Bii(jd  of  the  ancient  Norse  colonizers  of 


)i   w 


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Till-:  <;uKAT  w iiiTK  yoirni 


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(irt'ciiland,  und  near  Arsiik  was  the  old  ^.orsc  church  of  Stcin- 
nals.  "The  whole  coa.^l,"  writes  Captain  VouiiK,  "from 
S.  I],  to  N.  X.  ]•].  stood  hefore  (is  like  a  panorama,  and  the  sea 
so  calm,  and  ev(>rythinji;  so  still  and  jMaceful,  excejitinsj;  now 
and  then  the  rumhlin,!;-  of  an  overt urninji;  Ixm-jj;,  or  tlie  distant 
echo  of  the  floes  as  they  pressed  to.iicther  to  seaward  of  us, 
that  it  almost  seeme(l  like  a  transition  to  some  other  world." 

At  Irintut,  where  the  I'anilnKt  i)ut  in  to  coal,  ("ai^tain 
Younti  had  the  })leasure  of  visitini;;  his  old  ship,  the  Fox. 
At  Iriiitut  also  aic  loeatecl  the  famous  cryolite  min(>s,  dis- 
covered l)y  the  Danish  missionaries  who  first  sent  specimens 
to  ( "o])enha^-en  as  etiino.iiraphical  cm'io-ities.  The  cryolite 
is  foimil  near  the  sliore,  restinii;  immediately  u])on  j;;neiss. 
The  |)urest  is  of  snow-white  colour,  the  <;rayish  white  variety 
bi'injj;  second  in  (piality.  It  iiuich  resembles  ice  which  has 
been  ctn've(l  and  ^roove(l  by  the  action  of  the  sim's  rays  ;  its 
component  parts  are  double  hydrofhiate  of  soda  and  aliunina. 
It  melts  like  ic<>  in  the  flame  of  a  candle,  and  it  is  used  princi- 
pally for  inakiiiii;  soda,  also  for  preparinji;  aluminmu. 

The  Pdiiddra  was  highly  favoured  by  the  sinp;idarly  open 
condition  of  Melville  Bay;  beri!;s  ]>ro\  'I  ])lentiful,  l)iit  no 
dreaded  ice-iloe  inqM'ded  lier  profiress.  A  chaufie  in  the  ice 
conditions  was  first  noticeable  while  off  the  Cary  Islands. 
And  upon  h^avinj^  the  islands  and  ]>roc(H'din,u;  to'vard  Lancaster 
Sound,  the  Pdiulorn  fell  in  with  the  ice  tlio  '2()lh  of  .\uji;ust 
while  lying  about  thirty  miles  east   of  V[\.\w  Ilorsburjih. 

"Three  bears  bein.u;  seen  on  the  ice,"  writes  ("ai)tain 
Youn^;,  "I  went  away  in  the  s(>cond  cutter  with  PirieandBcy- 
ueii.  and  after  shootinjj;  the  old  sh(>-bear  and  one  cub  we  suc- 
ceeded in  setting!;  a  roi)(>  around  the  lariier  cub  and  towinjj,  him 
to  tlie  sliip.  Xow  l)esi;in  a  most  lively  scene.  The  bear  was 
almost  full  <;ro\vn.  and  it  was  with  some  difhculty  we  ji;ot  him 
()i\  board  and  tied  <lown  the  rinii-bolts  with  liis  hind  lefjs  se- 
cured ;   and  notwithstanding  this  rough  treatment  he  showed 


TWO    VOYAdKS   OF  THE  "l'A.\h(>nA 


;J20 


most  wonderful  ('nci<j;y  in  trying  to  attack  any  oiir  who  caino 
within  rcarh,  ar.d  especially  oiu'  <logs,  who  seemed  to  delijiht 
in  trying;  his  teii!  <'r.  He  was  at  last  secured  on  the  (juarter 
deck  with  a  chain  round  hi^s  neck  and  under  his  fore  arms,  and 
soon  began  to  feed  ravenously  on  —  I  am  sorry  to  have  to 
write  it  —  his  own  mother,  who  was  speedily  cut  ;ip  and  i)ieces 
of  her  flesh  thrown  to  my  new  shipmate.  I  hoi)e  that  he 
was  only  an  adoi)ted  child,  and  the  great  difference  Ix'tween 
him  and  the  other  cul)  warranted  this  sui)position.  as,  being 
three  tim(>s  the  size  of  the  other,  he  could  U(jt  have  been  of  the 
same  litter."  A  few  days  later  we  read,  "Our  new  shii)mate, 
the  bear,  made  desperate  struggles  \{)  get  ov(>r  the  rail  into  tin- 
sea,  but  the  chain  was  tightened,  and  at  last  he  went  tc  sleep." 

On  the  2'M  of  August,  a  barrier  of  ice  across  Lancaster 
Sound  (jbliged  Captain  Young  to  retrace  his  steps.  Siiow, 
sleet,  and  wind  ])revaile(l  as  they  scudded  onward,  an  ict; 
blink  fre(iuently  ahead;  tlu'n  the  inevital)le  floe  in  streams 
and  loose  pieces,  with  the  .sea  dashing  over  them  as  they 
flew  between. 

'■  While  w(>  were  in  this  situation,"  Captain  Young  observes, 
'"our  bear  gradually  worked  himself  into  a  state  of  frantic 
exciteni'Mit  —  getting  up  to  the  rail,  --watching  the  tloe-ice 
rapidly  dashing  past  our  side  --  and  in  his  attempts  to  get 
over  the  bulwarks,  ii:>  released  his  chain  until  it  was  evideiu 
that  in  a  few  moments  he  wouivl  be  free,  whether  to  dive  over- 
l)oard  or  to  run  amuck  among  the  watch  ajipeared  a  (luestion 
of  doubt.  The  alarm  being  given  by  Pirio,  who  \vas  writing 
up  the  deck  log,  the  watch  was  called  to  secure  the  bear,  and  I 
fear  that  during  the  half  hour  which  ela])sed  the  ship  was  left, 
more  or  less,  to  take  care  of  herself.  The  whole  watch, 
besides  Pirie  with  a  revolver  and  myself  with  a  crowbar, 
assaulted  the  unfortunate  Bruin,  whos(>  frantic  struggles  and 
endeavours  to  attack  every  one  within  reach  were  quite  as 
much  as  we  could  control.     He  was  loose,  l)ut  by  a  fortunate 


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Tin:  <;i!i:at  uiihe  .\oirrii 


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ovcnt  a  ruiuiiiifi  ii()(>s(>  was  jiasscd  round  his  neck,  and  the 
poor  hnitr  was  haulrd  down  to  a  rinfi;-l)olt  until  we  could  se- 
cure the  cliaiii  round  iiis  neck  and  liody.  I  had  hitherto  no 
conception  of  the  strength  of  thest"  animals,  and  especially  of 
the  p(>wer  of  their  jaws.  Fearinji;  that  the  iron  cro\vi)ar  niij;ht 
injure  his  ti>eth,  1  jammed  a  moj)  handle  into  his  mouth  while 
the  others  were  securing  his  cliain,  and  he  hit  it  completely 
through.  At  last  Hruin  gave  in,  and  beyond  an  occasional 
struggle  to  get  loose,  and  a  constant  low  growling,  he  gave  us 
no  further  tn)ul)le.  I  ought  to  mention  that  in  the  midst  of 
the  scrimmage  the  Doctor  was  called  up  to  give  him  a  dose  of 
opium,  in  the  hojie  of  sulxluiiig  him  by  this  meims  ;  hut 
having  succeeded  in  getting  him  to  swallow  a  j)iece  of  hluhher 
saturated  with  chloroform  and  o|)iui'i  suflicient  to  kill  a  dozen 
men,  our  Hruin  did  not  appear  to  have  experienced  thi' 
slightest  effect,  and  the  Doctor,  who  volunteered  to  remain  up, 
and  exi)ress(>d  some  anxiety  as  to  the  bear's  fate,  retired 
below  somewhat  disai)pointed." 

Making  Harrow  Strait  for  the  i)urposeof  reaching  Beechey 
Island,  the  I'diidora  ])ursued  her  course,  in  fog  and  snow; 
Beechey  Island  was  reached  on  the  2.")lh.  ( !oing  on  shore, 
Ca])tain  Young  and  two  ofhcers  insi)ected  the  state  of  i)ro- 
visions  and  boats  at  Xorthumlu'rland  House.  It  will  bo 
nMuembered  that  Xorthumberland  House  was  built  by 
Commander  Pullen  of  the  Xortli  Star,  which  wintered  there 
in  1S.')2  1S:):{  and  lSr)3-l,S.')4,  as  a  depot  for  Sir  Edward 
Belcher's  ex])edition.  The  house  was  built  in  the  fall  of  lSr)2, 
of  th(>  h)W(>r  masts  and  spars  from  the  American  whaler 
McIjJhni,  which  had  been  crushed  in  the  ice  in  Melville  Bay 
in  bS.-)2. 

('aptain  Young  found  that  the  house  had  Ix-en  stove  in  at 
the  door  ami  sides,  l)y  the  wind  and  l)y  l)ears,  and  almost 
overxtliing  light  and  movable  had  been  blown  out  or  dragg'-d 
out  by  the  bears,  which  luul  also  torn  uj)  all  the  tops  of  the 


\{  \ 


mo  voyA<n:s  of  hie  ••  i'axdoh.i 


;5;}1 


l)iilt's,  uikI  scattered  tlu'  conti'iits  in  all  directions.  The  hou.si' 
was  nearly  t'nll  (jI  i<'i"  and  snow  frozen  ^so  hard  as  to  neeessilato 
the  use  of  piek-axe  and  crowbar  before  anything  eould  bo 
moved.  Tea-chests  and  beef  casks  had  been  broken  open  and 
the  contents  scattered  or  devoured.  The  place  presented  a 
scene  of  ruin  and  confusion,  althoujj;h  there  \\;'re  no  traces  of 
the  i)lace  haviiifj;  lu'cn  visited  l)y  human  beings  since  the 
departure  of  Sir  Le(;pold  M'Ciintock  in  the  Fox,  tl  '  14th  of 
August,  ISo.'i. 

A  cask  of  ruin  had  remained  intact,  ''a  conclusive  i)roof 
to  my  mitul,"  writes  Captain  Young,  "that  neither  Eskimo 
nor  British  sailor  had  entered  that  way."  The  boats,  liowever, 
were  found  in  gotjd  c(jndition,  and  had  escaped  the  raxages 
of  time  and  wild  animals. 

Weighing  anchor  the  Pdiidont  stood  to  the  southward  for 
Peel  Strait.  Captain  Young  visited  a  cairn  in  which  a  record 
had  been  placed  l)y  Captain  James  C.  Ross,  7ti»  of  June,  1S41). 

An  attempt  was  made  to  i)ush  through  to  Belhjt  Strait, 
but  the  fast  closing  in  of  the  ice  determini'd  Captain  Young 
to  retreat  and  al)audon  his  cherished  hope  of  making  the 
Northwest  Passage  this  year.  A  race  with  the  ice  to  Ca])(^ 
Reniu-11  and  a  second  visit  to  the  Cary  Islands  resulted  in 
finding  a  record  left  there  by  the  Alert  and  Discovery,  which 
brought  glad  tidings  to  friends  at  home.  By  the  11th  of 
SeptemluT,  the  Pnttdora  sighted  Cape  Dudley  Digges,  about 
ten  miles  distant,  ''tlie  wind  fn^shening  to  a  gah',  with  a  high 
flowing  sea.  which  froze  as  it  lapped  our  sides." 

Cape  York  was  passed  the  next  day.  A  stormy  pa.<sage 
continued  to  harass  them  uivtil  the  19th,  when  the  Pdtulorn 
readied  the  harbour  of  Ciodhaven.  After  a  four  days'  stay 
at  Godhaven,  she  continued  in  her  course  ;  on  the  1st  of 
October  she  stood  southward  of  the  capo,  steering  direct  for 
the  English  Channel,  ami  anchored  at  Spithead,  the  10th  of 
October,  1S7.J. 


i:ii, 


H 


f-   ! 


'     K 


V 


■.\.\-l 


THE  (iUKAT    SVIUIE   SiMil'll 


The  Pandora  pnt  to  sea  on  Iht  second  vcjyagc  from  IIk; 
Soutli;iin])t()ii  Docks,  Aluy  17.  ISTU,  for  the  (loul)l('  purpose  of 
miikinfi  another  attempt  to  sail  throiifi;h  Peel  and  Ffanklin 
straits,  and  navi[^!;ate  the  coast  of  Xorth  AmiTica  to  Hehrinj^ 
Mrait,  and  to  carfv  out  the  instructions  of  the  British 
Adniiialty  in  an  attempt  to  comimmicat*  with  the  Ahrt 
and  Disci, nri/,  at  Littleton  Island  or  ( 'ape  Isalxlla.  I'roceed- 
inii  under  sail,  slie  reaclied  (lodhaven  by  the  7th  of  July. 

Here  de>olation  and  j^loom  seemed  to  overwhelm  tlu  little 
settlement.  owin<f  to  the  storehouse  havinji;  l)urned  and  con- 
sumed the  entire  winter's  production  of  oil  and  l)lul)l)er  <omo 
two  hun  lre<l  tiarrels,  as  well  as  all  the  store  helonj^ing  to  tlu; 
I'nited  State-  I'olari--  expedition.  Such  a  disaster  to  the 
;)()(ir  (Ireenlanders  was  (juite  as  <;reat  a  catastiophe  as  the 
i>urninj;  of  half  of  London  woidd  he  to  a  Britisher.  However, 
a  cordial  welcome  awaited  Captain  Youn^-  from  th(>  hospital)l(> 
natives,  and,  "  hi  fact,"  he  writes,  "we  thoroufi;hly  enjoyed  our 
stay  in  [)ort.  and  all  made  j>;reat  friends  with  the  (Ireenlanders. 
The  only  drawback  was  caused  i)y  the  (luantities  of  the  most 
venomous  mos(|uitoes  I  ever  saw,  and  they  did  their  very  best 
thoroujiiily  to  torment  us.  I  never  in  any  climate  knew  such 
a  jx'st  as  we  found  these  (Ire(>nland  mosciuitoes,  for  wherever 
we  went,  either  on  shore  o?  in  a  boat  and  even  on  board  ship, 
they  followed  us  persistently,  and  at  whatev(>r  hour,  ni<j;lit  or 
day.  it  was  always  the  same.  T  was  this  time  more  bitten 
than  I  ever  was  l)efore.  .My  head  and  hands  were  completely 
swollen,  and  on(>  of  my  eyes  shut  up." 

On  the  1 1th  of  July,  tlie  Patulora  steamed  out  of  (lodhaven, 
in  tlie  direction  of  Waif^at.  makinjf  a  brief  stop  at  Xjara^su^s- 
suk,  and  ))uttinii;  in  for  coal  at  Kudliest.  By  the  Ulth,  she 
stood  off  Hare  Island,  and  two  days  later  was  running  under 
canvas  towards  r]iernavik.  Leavinji  on  the  19th.  the  ship 
proceeded  <lowly  through  a  dense  fo.ii  toward  Brown  Island. 
Tiie  Duck   Islands  were  passed  on  the  21st,   the  fojf  aji;aia 


Tiro    l"i>>}'.l'.A'.S   OF  TUK  ••  I'A.SDOIIA 


•>->'> 
•  >->'j 


iiuulc  j)r();j;r('ss  cxtrcincly  diflicult,  iiiul  the  coinijliciitioiis  of 
tiiousaiids  ul'  iccl»('rji,s,  ot'  every  coiu-eivuble  I'oriii  uiid  sliajx-, 
iiit(>nninji;l(Ml  with  the  ilrifting  iloe.s  of  u-e,  ulinust  blocked  the 
way  to  the  nortli. 

The  following;;  days  were  passed  in  the  greatest  anxiety 
by  Captain  V()un<>-.  The  Pmuhmi  was  Ix-set  in  the  ice-pack 
of  Melville  Hay,  and  in  spite  of  blastinj^  with  }j;unpoNvder 
all  around  her,  wheri'  the  pressure  was  greatest,  the  enormous 
icetx'rgs  driving  through  towards  her  position  threatened  her 
destruction  at  any  moment. 

On  the  2<)th  of  July,  a  frightful  storm  disrupted  the  pack, 
and,  after  twenty-foin-  hours  of  uncertainty  and  danger,  tlu; 
Panilorn  steamed  her  way.  inch  by  inch,  yard  t)y  yard,  into  the 
open  sea.  ''Cheers  burst  si)ontaneously  from  the  crew  as  wo 
laimched  out  into  the  ocean  and  made  all  sail  to  a  fair  wind 
from  the  S.  \V." 

The"  North  Water  "at  last, with  the  whole  season  ahead  and 
a  straight  course  for  Cajx'  York  and  the  Cary  Islands  ;  a  bri<'f 
stop  to  examine  the  Pdndom'-s  dei)ot  of  the  i)revious  year,  and 
by  August  2  the  ship  was  passing  west  of  Ilakluyt  Island.  A 
.stop  was  made  at  Sutherland  Island  for  the  purpose  of  finding 
any  despatches  from  Captain  Xares  that  may  have  been  left 
there,  but  only  Captam  Ilartstein's  record  was  found,  left 
tiu'rt>  August  1(),  IS.').'),  when  he  touched  at  this  point  in  his 
.search  for  Dr.  Kane. 

M  Littleton  Island,  which  was  reached  August  3,  Captain 
Young  was  more  successful,  and  a  record  written  July  2S,  187"), 
and  left  there  by  Captain  Xares,  gave  full  information  of  the 
British  expedition  up  to  that  date.  As  it  was  evident  that 
no  sledging  party  had  touched  at  tliat  ])oint  in  the  spring, 
Captain  Young's  mission  was  over,  and  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  main  object  of  his  voyage,  that  of  attempting  the 
Nort Invest  Passaiic  rid  Peel  Strait,  previous  to  which.  howev(>r. 
he  made  an  examination  of  the  bays  and  inlets  between  Little- 
ton Island  and  Cape  Alexander. 


!r 


1 

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'    J. 


9 


.If)  I 


THE  am: AT  w  ihtk  south 


Touching;  .it  ('■•ipc  Isuhclla,  Mcutcii;iiits  ArhiitliiKit  iiiid 
Jicckcr  IuikIimI  and  toiiiid  a  second  coiinmmical ion  Iroiii  ( 'ap- 
taiii  Naics,  Icit  tlirrc  July  2l»,  IS7.').  Letters  tor  the  . I A // and 
Disciinr//  and  a  lecoi'd  ot  the  l^nidoro's  visit  were  (lej)o>ited 
at  this  i)oitit.  A  second  uttenipt  to  reach  ("ape  Isaliella  for 
the  purpose  of  a  uKtre  thorou,^h  examination  of  a  cask, 
descrilied  l>y  the  first  huidinjj;  party,  and  supposed  hy  { "aptain 
Youn^  to  contain  letters  or  despatches,  resulted  in  the 
J'(ni(l(ir(t's  spendinj;  three  weeks  in  a  strufi<2;le  with  the  ice 
for  an  approach.  When  Cape  Isalx-lla  was  finally  reached, 
after  days  of  delay  and  disappointment,  the  cask  which  had 
caused  so  nnich  anxiety  and  interest  was  found  to  lie  empty. 

So  much  time  had  heen  lost  in  the  di<ap|)ointinK  effort  to 
reach  ( "ape  Isalx'lla.  that  the  season  was  far  advanced,  and  the 
Pdiidorii  found  herself  in  a  most  critical  position  in  the  i<'e- 
l)ack.  To  pi'oceed  iiorthwanl  had  hecome  out  of  the  (luestiou 
hy  the  27th  of  August,  and  f\u-ious  storms  literally  drove  tlu' 
ship  out  of  Smith  Strait  to  the  scMitliward.  ( ■a[)tain  Younji's 
personal  disappointment  at  the  turn  of  affairs  was  only  sur- 
])assed  hy  the  disai)pointment  of  the  crew,  who,  after  the  huf- 
fet  inland  dani!;erof  their  recent  experience,  showeil  an  (eager- 
ness to  risk  passinji  a  winter  in  some  snu.t;  liarhour.  The  pack 
gradually  recedeil  as  the  PatuUtra  made  her  way  toward  Ilak- 
hiyt  Island,  and  the  way  was  clear  for  an  inunediate  return  to 
England.  The  only  important  incident  of  the  return  voyage 
was  the  miM'ting  with  the  AUvt  and  Discorcri/  in  latitude  .■)4° 
3S'  X.,  longitude  \r  IM)'  W.  Th(>  gallant  little  Pandora, 
continuing  in  luT  course,  made  Portsmouth  harhour  on  the 
3d  of  Xovemher,   1S7(>. 

Ff)llowing  in  chronological  order  the  interesting  voyages 
of  the  Pandora,  hut  of  a  totally  different  character  was  the 
remarkahle  land  journ(\v  of  over  two  thousand  eight  hun- 
dnd  nineteen  geographical  niil'^^  hy  Lieutenant  Schwatka, 
U.  S.  A.,  with  W.   H.   Gilder,   in   tJic  year.s  of   187S-1S71), 


.sr//ll  .1  V/i.l  s   sKMiCn    Fnlt    FHASKLIS    liFCOHDS      ii:\i) 


imdiTtukcii  lor  tlic  purpose  of  discovcrinjj;  the  Franklin 
records,  slioiild  they  slill  exist  on  Kiiijj;  William  liand,  or  in 
the  viiiiiily  of  the  route  taken  by  the  survivors  of  the  I'^nhua 
iuid  Terror. 

Lieutenant  Frederick  Schwatkii  was  of  Polish  descent, 
American  by  birth,  and  had  served  with  distinction  in  tho 
Third  Cavalry.  His  daring  and  eourat!,e  led  him  to  a  desire 
for  Arctic  adventtnc,  and,  having  secured  leave  of  absence 
from  the  government  and  the  supi)ort  of  the  National  deo- 
f>;raphic  Society,  he  left  New  York  on  the  l*.)th  of  June,  1S78, 
in  the  Kxtlwr,  with  four  con>panions,  imder  the  foUowing 
instructions  :    - 

"L'pon  yt)ur  arrival  at  l^epulse  P.ay,  you  will  pn'pare  for 
your  inland  journey  by  l)uildin^;  your  sledges  and  taking  such 
provisions  as  are  necessary.  As  soon  as  sufficient  snow  is  on 
the  ground,  you  will  start  for  King  William  Land  and  the  Cinlf 
of  Boothia.  Take  daily  ol)servations,  and  whenever  you 
discover  any  error  in  any  of  the  charts,  you  will  correct  the 
same.  Whenever  you  shall  make  any  new  discoveries,  you 
will  mark  the  same  on  the  charts  ;  and  important  discoveries 
I  desire  to  ix-  named  after  the  Hon.  Charles  P.  Daly  and  liis 
estimable  wife,  Mrs.  Maria  Daly.  Any  records  you  may  think 
necessary  for  ycm  to  leave  on  the  triji,  at  such  places  as  you 
think  best,  you  will  mark  '  Esther  Franklin  Arctic  Search 
Party,  Frederick  8cln\  ika  in  command;  date,  longitude, 
and  latitude  ;  to  be  directed  to  the  President  of  the  National 
Geograiihic  Society,  New  York,  United  States  of  America. 
Should  you  be  fortunate  in  finding  the  riH'ords,  remains, 
or  relics  of  Sir  John  F'ranklin  or  his  unfortunate  party,  as  I 
liave  hopes  you  will,  you  will  ke(>i)  them  in  your  or  Joe's  con- 
trol, and  the  contents  thereof  shall  l)e  kept  secret,  and  no  part 
thereof  destroyed,  tam])ered  with,  or  lost.  Should  you  find 
the  remains  of  Sir  Jt)hn  Franklin  or  any  of  his  party,  you  will 
take  the  same,  have  them  properly  taken  care  of,  and  bring 


m 
?i4 


II 


3:5»)  'y///-;  (ii!t:AT  wiint:  ymrni 

thfiu  uitli  you.  Tlic  rurpcntiT  of  the  I'^stlnr  will,  Ix'foro  you 
>l:irt  on  your  .-lcilji;»'  jounit-y,  prcpaif  l)oxcs  ncci  -,^;iry  for  tlic 
care  of  relics,  rciuaiiis,  or  records,  should  you  discover  the 
same.  Whatever  you  may  discovt-r  or  ohlaiii,  you  will  deliver 
to  Captain  Thomas  F.  Harry,  or  whoever  shall  lie  in  command 
of  the  schooner  Esther  or  such  vessel  as  may  he  despatched 
for  you.  Vou  are  now  provisioned  for  eij^hteen  months 
for  twelve  men.  I  shall  next  s])rinfi  send  more  provisions  to 
you,  so  that  in  the  event  of  your  trip  lieinji;  prolon<i;ed,  you  shall 
not  want  for  any  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  Vou  will  he  careful 
and  economical  with  your  provisions,  and  will  not  let  any- 
thing; be  wasted  or  destroyed.  Should  the  exi)edition  for 
which  it  is  intended  prove  a  failure,  make  it  a  geoo;raphical 
success,  as  you  will  be  compelleil  to  travel  over  a  great  di'al 
of  unexplored  country." 

Winter  (luarters  were  established  at  Camp  Daly  on  the 
shore  ice  of  Hudson  Bay,  and  intercourse  kept  uj)  among  the 
natives  of  Chesterfield  Inlet,  for  the  purpose  of  enlisting  their 
supiiort  on  the  sledge  journeys  planned  for  the  spring  and  to 
secure  all  availat)le  information  regarding  Sir  John  Franklin 
or  his  unfortunate  crew. 

By  the  1st  of  April,  the  sledge  party  started  on  the  long 
march  towards  King  William  Land.  Lieutenant  Schw  ika 
was  accompanied  by  tlie  original  l)arty  of  four  white  men 
and  fourteen  Eskimos.  Th(>  sleds  were  dra\ni  by  forty-two 
dogs  :  the  loads  aggregated  about  five  thousand  pounds  on  the 
day  of  starting,  consisting  largely  of  walrus  meat  for  the 
dogs,  a  liberal  eciuipment  of  guns,  amnnmition,  and  articles  of 
trade,  besides  the  following  list  of  provi.sio.is  :  — 

lbs. 

Hard  breafl 500 

Pork 200 

Comj)re<-;ed  corned  beef 200 

Corn  starch       80 


/ 

1 

1 

I 
1 

\    1 

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i 

t 

i 


Frtirri  ft  purhftif  t rt  f.h'    ^Mf»-f--'f'ff  "•    .t,  fij- 
I.IKl  TKNWT    I'kKM:  liH   K    S'HWATKA 


V  w  itr-~' 


S(  UWAHvAS   SE.UiLU   I'Oll    I'NAMiLiy    UKCoUhS      .)',~ 

\\m. 

Oleomargarine        ■!() 

Cliee.se »'^ 

CotTec -*<> 

Tea ^ 

Molassi's '^^ 

This,  it  will  Iteseeu,  was  only  about  one  njonlh's  rations  for 
seventeen  people,  and  was,  in  faet,  nearly  exiiaii.-tcd  liy  tin' 
time  the  party   reached   King   William    Land.     l)e[)endeiiee 
was  placed  on  the  hunting  and  abundance  of  game;  live  hun- 
dred and  twenty-two  reindeer,  besides  i<msk-t)Xen,  polar  bears, 
and  seals  were  secured  in  the  courst"  ui  the  entire  journey. 
Travelling  overland  to  the  Back  Hiver,  the  party  experi- 
enced all  the  fatigues  incident  to  sledge  progress,  especially 
the  Americans,  who,  unaccustomed  to  long  marches,  surtered 
greatly    from    blistered    feet    and    muscular    soreness.      The 
country  sei'ined  alive  with  game,  and  on  the  11th  of  May 
seven  reinileer  were  killed  and  on  the  i:}th  as  many  as  nine. 
The  northern  shore  of  the  liack  Hiver  is  bounded  by  high 
hills,  almost  a  mountain  range,  and  inland  could  be  set'n  rocky 
hills  i)iled  together,  barren  and  forl)idding.     About  noon  on 
the  14th,  the  i)arty  came  ui)on  some  freshly  cut  blocks  oi  snow- 
turned  up  on  end,  —  a  sure  sign  of  natives  in  the  vicinity,  — 
and  farther  on  footprints  in  the  snow  as  well  as  a  caclie  of 
nnisk-ox'meat.     Following  the  tracks  after  breakinti;  cami)  the 
n(>xt  day,  the  iiarty  soon  reached  several  igloos  and  communi- 
cation   was   inunediately  established   with    the    inhal)itants. 
The  chief  si)okesman  was  anOkjoolik,  who  with  his  family  com- 
prised all  that  was  left  of  the  tribe  which  formerly  (h-cuimchI 
tlio  western  coast  of  Adelaide  Peninsula  and  King  William 
Land.     From  this  interesting  and  important  witness  iimch 
infctrmation  about  the  Franklin  party  was    gained.     When 
quite  a  little  boy  he  had  seen  some  white  men  alive,  ;ind  from 
tiie  description  it  might  have  bi-cii  Lieuitiiant  Back  and  his 

7. 


■     * 


3:J8 


THE  (.liEAT   WHITE  NORTH 


I 

I! 


i 


R    ( 


i 


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f     '  H 
<1 


party.  Yours  hitcr,  he  saw  a  whito  man  dead  in  tlio  hunk 
ol'  a  big  ship,  which  was  frozen  in  nt-ar  an  island  ahout  five 
miles  west  itf  ( Iraiit  Point  on  Adelaide  Peninsula.  He  and  hi.s 
son  had  seen  the  tracks  of  white  men  on  the  mainland.  The 
natives  had  lH)arded  the  shij)  at  intervals,  and,  not  knowing 
how  to  use  the  docjrs,  had  cut  a  hole  in  the  side  on  a  level 
with  the  ice  and  entered  for  the  ])urpose  of  stealing  wood 
and  iron.  In  the  following  spring,  the  ship  had  filled  with 
water  and  sunk.  There  were  evidences  that  people  had  lived 
aboard  the  ship,  as  some  cans  of  fresh  meat  mixed  with  tallow 
were  found.  There  were  knives,  forks,  spoons,  pans,  cups, 
and  plates  aboard,  and  afterwards  a  few  articles  were  found 
on  shore  after  the  vessel  had  gone  down. 

Another  native  described  seeing  two  boats  on  the  Back 
River  containing  wliite  men,  antl  he  also  saw  a  stone  monu- 
ment on  Montreal  Island  containing  a  pocket  knife,  a  pair  of 
scissors,  and  some  fish  hooks,  but  no  papers  of  any  description. 

After  an  encampment  of  two  days  and  a  half.  Lieutenant 
Schwatka  contiimetl  his  journey  accompanied  by  some  of 
these  natives  as  guiiles. 

In  native  encampments  beyond  Ogle  Point  and  Richardson 
Point,  an  old  woman  was  found  who  proved  an  interesting 
witness  ;  she  had  been  one  of  a  party  w^ho  had  met  some  of  the 
survivors  of  the  Erebus  and  Terror  on  Washington  Bay.  She 
descril )od  secnng  ton  white  men  dragging  a  sledge  with  a  boat 
on  it.  The  Iimuits  encamped  near  the  white  m(>n  and  stayed 
in  their  company  about  five  days.  The  natives  had  killed 
some  seals  which  they  shared  with  the  white  men.  In  return, 
the  okl  woman's  husl)and  had  boon  given  a  knife  and  other 
articles  now  lost.  The  white  men  looked  very  thin,  and  their 
mcjuths  were  diy  and  hard  and  black.  The  natives  moved 
on,  but  the  white  men  could  not  keep  up  with  them,  and 
remained  behind.  The  following  spring,  the  old  woman  had 
seen  a  tent  standing  on  the  shore  at  the  head  of  Terror  Bay. 


>(ji[nATi<A's  sj:arcu  for  FUANKLiy  HE-  oiws    339 


In  it  were  dead  bodies,  iind  outside  were  others  covered  with 
sand.  Tliere  was  no  flesh  on  them,  —  nothing  Ijut  hones  and 
clothes.  About  the  tent  were  knives,  forks,  spoons,  watches, 
and  many  l)Ooks,  l)esides  clothing  and  otlier  personal  articles. 

Lieutenant  Schwatka  visited  the  cairn  erected  by  Captain 
Hall  over  the  Iwnes  of  two  of  Franklin's  men,  near  the  Pfeffer 
River;  a  few  relics  were  gathered  up  in  the  vicinity  of  Ade- 
laide Peninsula,  one  a  l)unk  fixture  with  the  initials  "L.  F." 
in  bra?s  tacks  upon  it. 

r'ap(>IIerschel,  on  King  William  Island,  was  reached  in  June. 
Lieutenant  Schwatka  made  a  thorough  examination  of  the 
western  shore  of  the  island  as  far  as  Cape  Felix.  At  Cape 
Jane  Franklin,  Captain  Crozier's  camp  was  found,  where  the 
entire  company  of  the  two  abandoned  ships  had  remained 
some  time  ;  strewn  about  were  many  relics  of  the  party  and 
the  grave  of  Lieutenant  Irving.  Gilt  buttons  were  found 
among  the  rotting  cloth  and  mould  at  the  bottom  of  the  grave, 
and  upon  one  of  the  stones  at  the  foot  of  the  grave  was  found 
a  silver  medal,  two  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  bas- 
relief  portrait  of  CJeorge  IV  surrounded  by  the  words  — 

Georgius  IIII,  D.  G.  Brittanniarum 
Rex,  LS20 

and  on  the  reverse  a  laurel  wreath  surrounded  by 

Second  Mathematical  Prize,  Royal 
Naval  College 
and  inclosing 

Awarded  to  John  Irving, 
Midsummer,  1830. 

The  remains  of  Lieutenant  Irving  were  brought  home  for 
burial  in  Edinburgh. 


! 


'i    1 

-  It 


p 


u 

m 

t 

i 

l4 


^40 


THE  aiiKAT   WHITE  NOIlTll 


Tlie  record  doposited  by  ArClintock  on  the  3d  of  June, 
IS.")',),  wus  also  found  ;  much  of  it  was  illcffihlc,  and  tlie  cairn 
in  whicli  it  had  been  (U>i)ositcd  had  lurn  dcstroji'il  by  natives. 
The  return  from  King  William  Land  was  started  Septem- 
ber l\).  It  will  be  remembereii  that  for  months  the  party 
had  subsisted  entirely  on  game  found  in  the  locality,  that 
their  original  sujjply  of  provisions  had  lasted  a  litth;  more 
than  thirty  days,  and  that  the  return  was  in  the  face  of  the 
fast  approaching  winter.  Fortunately,  reindeer  were  seen 
daily  in  immense  herds. 

"We  cut  quantities  of  reindeer  tallow  with  our  meat," 
remarks  (lilder,  "prol)al)ly  al)out  half  our  daily  food.  Break- 
fast is  eati'U  raw  and  frozen,  but  we  generally  have  a  warm 
meal  in  the  evening.  Fuel  is  hartl  to  obtain,  and  consists 
entirely  of  a  vine-like  moss  called  ik-shoot-ik.  Reindeer  tal- 
low is  also  used  for  a  light.  A  small  flat  stone  serves  for 
candle-stick,  on  which  a  lump  of  tallow  is  placed,  close  to  a 
l)iece  of  fibrous  moss  called  mun-ne,  which  is  used  for  a  wick. 
The  tallow  melting  runs  down  upon  the  stone  and  is  immedi- 
ately absorbed  by  tlie  moss.  This  makes  a  very  cheerful  and 
pleasant  light,  but  is  most  exasperating  to  a  hungry  man, 
as  it  smells  exactly  like  frying  meat.  Eating  such  quantities 
of  tallow  is  a  great  benefit  in  this  climate,  and  we  can  easily  see 
the  effect  of  it  in  the  comfort  with  which  we  meet  the  cold." 
Directing  his  course  toward  the  Great  Fish-Back  River, 
Lieutenant  Schwatka  began  its  ascent  in  Xov(>niber.  The 
cold  was  intense,  from  20°  to  70°  below  zero. 

"W(>  found  the  travelling  on  Back's  River  much  more  te- 
dious than  we  had  anticipated,"  writes  Gilder,  "owing  to  the 
])are  ice  in  the  vicinity  of  the  open-water  rapids  and  the  in- 
tense cold  which  kept  the  air  filled  with  minute  particles  of 
ice  from  the  freezing  of  the  steam  of  the  open  water." 

On  December  28,  1878,  Liiutenant  Schwatka  decided  to 
abandon  travel  on  the  Great  Fish-Back  Riv(T,  owing  to  the 


,SC7iHM77iM'^'   SEARCH  FOR   FUASKLIS   RECORDS    oil 


scarcity  of  game  in  the  vicinity.  The  Innuit  hunters  having 
reported  the  land  sledging  in  good  condition  towartl  the 
southeast,  —  indeed,  much  better  than  upon  the  river,  —  and 
indications  pointing  to  an  al)undance  of  game  in  that  direc- 
tion, the  party  immediately  struck  out  for  Depot  Island. 

The  extreine  cold  experienced  at  this  period  of  the  journey 
was  trying  beyond  expression,  and  had  a  serious  effect  upon 
man  and  beast.  Even  iron  and  wood  were  affected,  strong 
oak  and  hickory  breaking:  to  the  touch  like  icicles.  It  was  a 
matter  of  great  difficulty  to  keep  the  guns  in  working  order, 
and  the  wary  game  would  hear  the  sound  of  the  crunching  of 
the  hunters'  tread  on  the  snow  at  long  distances. 

"I  have  frequently  heard,"  remarks  Gilder,  "the  crunch- 
ing of  the  sled  runners  on  the  brittle  snow— a  ringing  sound 
like  striking  bars  of  steel  —  a  distance  of  over  two  miles." 
The  mean  temperature  for  December  was  —50.4°  Fahren- 
heit, the  lowest  -69°  ;  on  January  3  the  thermometer  fell 
to  the  lowest  point  experienced  by  Lieutenant  Schwatka's 
party,  antl  stood  at  -7v,'  in  the  morning  and   -91°  at  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.      The  party  had  long  been  with- 
out the  fatty  food  so  essential    to   retain    bodily  warmth 
in   these  fearful  temperatures,  and  the  dogs,  although  fed 
upon  frozen  reindeer  meat,  which,  however,  has  but  little 
nourishment  in  it  in  that  state  for  cold  weather,  began  to 
sicken  and  die.     The  small  amount  of  blubl)er  now  remaining 
only  served  for  lighting  the  igloos  at  night,  and  a  cooked  meal 
could  only  be  indulgeil  in  on  days  when  the  party  remain(>d 
in  camp  and  could  gather  moss  for  fuel.     To  add  to  the  general 
misery  under  which  the  return  journey  was  continued,  wolves 
were  frequently  met  \vith,  so  ravenous  and  bold  that  they  at- 
tacked the  dogs  for  the  purpose  of  eating  the  meat    hro\\-n 
out  to  them.     On  another  occasion  :  — 

"Toolooah  was  out  hunting  on  the  23d    of    February," 
writes  Gilder,   "when  a  pack  of  about  twenty  wolves  at- 


s      1 

■■i  ■ 


* 
' 


|: 


I. 


* 
ft 

■1   t 

i 


342 


TIIK  GREAT    WHITE  NORTH 


tacked  him.  lie  jumpcHl  upon  a  big  rock,  which  was  soon 
surrounded,  and  there  he  fouj^ht  the  savage  h(>astsot'f  with  the 
hutt  of  liis  gun  until  lie  got  a  sure  shot,  when  he  kiH(>d  one, 
and  whih'  tlie  others  fouglit  over  and  devoured  the  carcass, 
he  matle  the  best  of  the  oi)portunity  to  get  back  into  camp. 
It  was  a  most  fortunate  escape,  as  he  fullv  reahzed." 

Two  days  later,  the  same  hunter,  while  following  a  reindeer 
not  far  from  camp,  was  suri)rised  to  meet  another  Innuit, 
whom  he  found  to  be  an  acciuaintance  ;  from  this  man  he 
learned  that  Depot  Island  was  about  three  days'  journey  off. 
Returning  to  camp  with  this  happy  intelligence,  it  was  decided 
to  push  on  and  lighten  the  sledges  at  the  igloo  of  this  native 
the  following  day,  and  then  by  forced  marches  reach  Depot 
Island  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  jirospect  of  finding  ships  in  the  harbour,  with  news 
from  home  an<l  friends,  did  much  to  revive  the  hope  and 
spirits  of  the  jaded  party,  and  when,  as  tliey  approached  their 
destination,  friendly  natives  were  encountered,  their  joy 
and  emotion  knew  no  l)Ounds.  But  though  their  reception 
among  th(>  Innuits  had  been  warm  and  hearty,  their  joy  was 
tempered  with  (lisapiK)intnient  to  find  tliat  the  only  ship  in  the 
bay  was  at  Marble  Island,  and  that  Captain  Barry  of  the 
Esther  had  failetl  to  deposit  at  D(>pot  Island  a  thousand 
pounds  ot  bread  and  other  provisions  Ixdonging  to  Lieutenant 
Schwatka  upon  which  he  had  dej)endi>(l.  This  failure  to 
keej)  a  promise  resulted  in  the  party  (jf  twenty-two  hungry 
travell(Ts  and  nineteen  starving  dogs  being  forced  upon  the 
hospitality  of  the  natives,  and  in  less  than  a  week  famine 
existed  in  camp,  and  the  situation  became  desperate.  Storms 
ha<l  i)revented  the  hunting  of  walrus  and  seal,  until  the  eighth 
day  after  their  arrival.  In  the  meantime,  Lieutenant 
Schwatka  with  two  companions  had  pushed  on  to  Marble 
Island  for  assistance.  All  they  had  to  eat  was  a  little 
walru.s  blubber,  and  in  a  forced  march  of  twenty-four  hours 


SCmVATK.Ws   SEARCH  FOR   FRAXKLIS   RECORDS    343 


thov  covered  seventy-five  miles.     The  desperate  situation  in 


Island 


described  by  (Jildei 


the  settlement  at  Dej 
follows  :  — 

"People  spoke  to  each  other  in  whispers,  and  everything 
was  quiet,  save  the  never-ceasing  and  piteous  cries  of  the 
hungry  children  begging  for  food  which  their  parents  could 
not  give  them.  Most  of  the  time  I  stayed  in  bed,  trying  to 
keep  warm  and  to  avoid  exercise  that  would  only  make  me 
all  the  more  hungry." 

Four  days  later,  the  hunters  were  successful  in  killing  a 
walrus,  and  this  timely  relief  enabled  the  members  of  Schwat- 
ka's  party  to  continue  their  journey  to  Marble  Island.  On 
the  first  day  out,  they  met  a  native  with  relief  for  the  camp. 
On  Saturday,  March  21,  1880,  the  ship  deorge  and  Mary  was 
reached,  v  iiore  a  warm  welcome  awaited  them  from  Captain 
Raker.  When  freed  from  the  ice  in  the  spring,  this  ship 
carried  tht>  explorers  back  to  civilization. 

It  will  be  remembered  that,  during  the  entire  journey, 
the  reliance  for  food  for  man  and  beast  was  solely  uj)on  the 
resources  of  the  country,  that  the  white  men  lived  exclusively 
upon  the  same  fare  as  the  Eskimos,  and  that  the  return 
shulge  journey  was  accomplished  during  an  Arctic  winter 
acknowledged  to  be  of  exceptional  severity  by  the  natives. 
To  Lieutenant  Schwatka's  excellent  management,  and  thor- 
ough fitness  for  his  position  as  commander,  was  due  the  suc- 
?ess  of  the  expedition. 

"All  our  movements  were  conducted  in  the  dull,  methodi- 
cal, business-like  manner  of  an  army  on  the  march,"  writes 
(iilder.  "Every  contingency  was  calculated  upon  and  pro- 
vided for  b(>forehand,  so  that  personal  adventures  were  al- 
m(»st  unknown  or  too  trivial  to  mention." 

The  results  of  this  remarkable  journey  are  summed  up 

in  a  leading  English  newspaper  published  Septeml)er  2o,  1880. 

"Lieutenant  Schwatka  has  now  dissolved  the  last  doubts 


„,*= 


I 


ill 


y\. 


i 


344 


THE  GREAT    WHITE   SOUTfT 


that  could  have  boon  felt  about  the  fate  of  the  Franklin 
expedition.  He  has  traced  the  one  untraced  ship  to  its 
t!;rave  beyond  the  ocean,  and  cleared  the  reputation  of  a 
harmless  peoi)le  from  an  undeserved  reproach.  He  has 
given  to  the  unburied  bones  of  the  crews  probably  the  only 
safeguard  against  desecration  by  wandering  wild  beasts  and 
heedless  Eskimos,  which  that  frozen  land  allowed.  He 
has  brought  home  for  reverent  sepulture,  in  a  kindlier  soil, 
the  oMi  body  which  bore  transport.  Over  the  rest  he  has  set 
up  monuments  to  emphasize  the  undying  memory  of  their 
sutTerings  and  their  exploits.  He  has  gathered  tokens  by 
which  friends  and  relatives  may  identify  their  dead,  and  re- 
visit in  imagination  the  spots  in  which  the  ashes  lie.  Lastly, 
he  has  carried  home  with  him  material  evidence  to  complete 
the  annals  of  Arctic  exploration." 


.€ 


U 


j:    II 


'( 


Fniin  <i  iK/rtniil  in  tin   /»;.>.« n.n/,.//  nf  A.  Uiitrli.  /^.•<ii. 

W.    II.    (UI.DKU 


i 


■I 


i 


I        ! 


\ 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

T\w  JcriiDKlle  ("xpodition,  1879  1S81.  —  In  conmuuul  of  Captain 
(leorRc  \V.  Dc  Loiif?.  —  Leaves  tSaii  Francisco,  touches  at  Ouna- 
laska,  AuRUsl  2,  reaches  Lawn-nce  Hay,  l^ast  Siberia,  Au- 
gust 15.  —  Last  seen  l)y  whale  hark  Ski  linczc  near  Herahl 
Ishuid,  September  2.  — Th(^  Jcdiimttc  beset  in  ice-pack.  Sej)- 
teniber  ').  never  again  released.  -Daily  routine  of  officers 
and  crew.  —  Shii)  springs  a  leak.  —  A  frozen  summer. -— Sight 
of  new  land.  -A  second  winter  in  the  pack. —The  Jcanmite 
crushed. —  Abandonment. —  The  retreat. — Tiie  fate  of  the 
three  boats.  —  Death  of  Do  Long's  party.  —  Melville's  search. 

The  American  Arctic  exi)(.Hlition  of  1879,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  CJeorse  \V.  De  Long  of  the  United  States  Navy, 
was  ecjuipped  and  financed  by  Mr.  James  (Gordon  Bennett, 
proprietor  of  the  Xew  York  Herald.  The  object  of  the 
expedition  was  to  reach  the  Nortli  Pole  by  way  of  Behring 
Strait. 

The  bark-riggeil  steam  yacht  of  four  hundred  twenty 
tons,  Pandora,  which  had  already  seen  considerable  service  in 
Arctic  water,  was  purchasoil  from  Sir  Allen  Young.  By 
special  act  of  Congress  she  was  allowed  to  sail  under  American 
colours,  be  navigated  l)y  officers  of  the  United  States  Navy, 
and  to  change  her  name  from  Pandora  to  Jeannette.  The 
Jcannettc  was  reenforced  and  refitted  for  the  arduous  service 
expected  of  her,  and  her  officers  and  crew,  thirty-three  in  num- 
ber, carefully  .selected  for  their  especial  fitness  for  the  under- 
taking. 

Among  the  number.  Lieutenant  De  Long  and  Lieutenant 
Chipp,  the  executive  officer,  had  seen  Arctic  service  while 

345 


1 


1. 
is 


:;4>; 


THE  a  HEAT   WHITE  yoitTii 


m 

■    k' 

i 

yf5 


attached  to  the  T.  S.  stvunwr  JiKinihi,  which  iiad  hcon  sent  by 
th<'  novcniincnt  in  search  of  the  I'lilmis  in  iSTo  ;  liiij-iiieer 
Melville  had  heeii  attached  to  tlie  Tiurtss,  while  that  ship  had 
l)een  on  the  same  errand,  and  Seaman  Win.  F.  C.  Nindemami 
had  sailed  on  the  I'idtiris  nm\  hccn  a  memher  of  the  ici>-drift 
party. 

Lieutenant  John  W.  Danenliower,  T.  S.  X.,  was  ai)j)ointed 
naviKator;  Dr.  .1.  .M.  .VmMer,  sur<i;eon:  Jerome  J.  Collins, 
meteoroloj-ist ;  Haymond  L.  Xewcomb,  naturalist;  and 
William  M.  Dunhar,  ice  pilot. 

The  Jauitictlc  left  San  Francisco  July  S,  and  moved  slowly 
toward  the  (lohh'ii  ( !ate  amid  the  clie  s  and  wavinj^  of  hand- 
kerdiiefs  from  thousands  of  spectators  on  the  wharves  and 
on  Tele<!;rai)h  Mill.  .\  salute  of  ten  <;uns  was  fired  from  Fort 
Point,  while  a  convoy  of  white-sailed  craft  of  the  San  Francisco 
Yacht  Clul)  escorted  her  out  to  the  broad  Pacific.  Pursuinj; 
her  cour.s(>,  the  Jamintte  made  for  Ounalaska,  one  of  the  x\leu- 
tian  Islands,  which  she  reached  .Vuffust  2.  There  additional 
stores  w(>re  taken  aboard,  and  four  days  later  she  pursued  her 
course,  to  St.  Michaels,  Alaska,  where  she  anchored  the  12th 
of  Aujiust.  Do^s  and  fur  elothins  ^vt'I■<'  purchasotl,  and  two 
Alaskans,  Aneciuin  and  Alexai,  were  hired  to  accompany  the 
expedition  as  dojr  drivers.  By  the  2oth  of  August,  she  had 
reached  St.  Lawrence  Pay,  East  Siberia,  where  Lieut(>nant 
l)e  Lons  learned  that  a  ship  sujiixised  to  l)e  the  Vega  had  gone 
south  in  June.  She  then  rounded  Fast  Cape  and  touched 
at  Cape  Serdze,  from  which  point  Lieut(>nant  De  Long  sent 
his  last  letter  home. 

Cajitain  Barnes  of  the  American  whale  bark  Sea  Breeze  saw 
XhvJeannelle  under  full  sail  and  steam,  on  the  2d  of  Septemlier, 
1879,  about  fifty  miles  south  of  J^'rald  Lshind  ;  on  the  3d  of 
September  she  was  sighted  by  Captain  Kelley  of  the  bark 
Dau-n:  and  at  about  the  same  time  Captain  Bauldry  of  the 
Helen  Mar  and  several  other  whalers  saw  smoke  from  the 


rilK  "JEASNETTE      EXrEUlTlo.W    7,s7.''-/.s,v/ 


341 


./ 


t(in>i(llc'.s  sin()k<'->t;ii'k  in  raiin<'  t>t  Herald  Ishuul.      She  was 


.staiidiiiy;  north,     'riicsr  were  tlic  last    tidinj^s  heard  of  the 
expedition  l)y  th(!  (jutside  world  for  over  two  years. 

On  the ')(h  of  September,  the  Jcrr /;//(//<,  having'  lioldly  entered 
the  ice  in  an  attempt  to  push  through  and  winter  at   Herald 


Island  or  \V 


Island  or  wiannell  liand,  was  in'sel  and  never  ay;am  lell  tJie 
ice-pack,  but  drifted  at  the  mercy  of  this  formidable  I'oe,  until 
.she  was  crushed,  and  finally  sank  many  months  afterward. 

Hopinji  against  hope  that  a  release  would  come,  first  in 
the  fall  with  the  promise  of  liuhan  sununer,  then  in  the  sjjring 
with  the  breaking!;  nj)  of  the  ice-pack,  Captain  De  Lony  saw 
the  weeks  and  months  frlide  by,  and  foUowed  the  complicated 
drift  of  the  Jeaiinctte,  us  she  co(iuetted  with  her  jailer,  turning 
and  twisting  in  her  course,  suf'ferinj!;  the  constant  ])ressure  of 
her  enemy,  that  hourly  threatened  her  destruction  and  pur- 
suing an  uneven  drift  north  and  eastward. 

The  daily  routine  during  the  l'jnj,r  imprisonment  was  prac- 
tically as  follows  :  — 


>  1 


ii, 


6  A.M.         Call  executive  officer. 

7  A.M.         Call  sliip's  cook. 
8:30  a.m.   Call  all  hands. 

9  A.M.  Breakfast  by  watches. 

10  a.m.         Turn  to,  clear  fire-hole  of  ice,  fill  barrels  with 

snow,  clean  up  decks. 

11  A.M.         Clear  forecastle.     All  hands  take  exercise  on  the 

ice. 
11 :30  A.M.    Inspection  by  executive  officer. 

12  M.  C.et  soundings. 

1  P.M.  One  watch  may  go  Ix'low. 

2  P.M.  Fill  barrels  with  snow.      Clear  fire-hole  of  ice. 

3  P.M.  Dinner  by  watches. 

4  P.M.  Clalley  fires  out.     Can^onter  and  boatswain  re- 

port departments  lo  executive  oflicer. 


I 
;, 


i4 


I!' 


h   I 


34S  ;//£,-  a  HEAT    WHITE  yoUTU 

7  :'4U  I'.M.       Supper  hy  watches. 

10  I'.M.  I'ipi'  down.     Xttise  and  siuokiiif:  t-.  cease  in  fore- 

castle, and  all  li^';lits  to  lie  put  out,  except  one 
liurner  of  bulkhead  lantern.  .Man  on  wati-li 
report  to  the  executive. 
During  the  ni^ht  the  anchor  watch  will  ex- 
amine the  fires  and  lights  every  half  hour,  and 
.see  that  there  is  no  dannvi  I  cm  fire.  All 
buckets  will  he  kept  on  the  .starhoard  .side  of 
tlie  (juarter-Kleck,  ready  for  u.se  in  i  ase  of  fire. 

This  proffrannne  was  varied  only  as  contingencies  arose; 
hy  threateiiinj;;  disaster  from  ice  pressure;  hy  the  rlius(>  of 
hear.; ;  the  capture  of  walrus  and  seals  ;  or  hy  huntini;  parties 
who  travelled  over  the  ice  in  seanii  of  «ame,  or  took  a  daily 
run  with  the  dojrs. 

"Winterins  in  the  pack,"  comments  De  Lonjj;,  "maybe  a 
thrillinj-  thin^  to  read  about  al.diKside  a  warm  fire  in  a  com- 
fortable home,  but  the  actual  thing  is  sufficient  to  make  any 
man  jjrematurely  old." 

On  Jamiary  10,  ISSO,  owing  to  serious  convulsions  of  the 
ice,  the  .hanncHe  sprung  a  leak.  The  dc-ck  innni)s  were  at 
once  rigged  and  maimed,  and  steam  raised  on  the  port  i)oil.T 
to  run  the  steam  pumps.  This  last  caused  great  difiiculty 
and  delay,  owing  to  the  temperature  in  the  fire-room  b(>ing 
-20°,  the  sea-cocks  being  frozen,  which  necessitated  pouring 
buckets  of  water  through  the  man-hole  plates,  b..f<,re  the 
pumps  could  be  operated.  Through  Melville's  in<lomital)le 
eniTgy,  the  pumi)s  were  effect iv(>  by  afternoon.  Though  all 
hands  worked  until  midnight,  the  serious  situation  was  only 
Iiartially  controlled,  the  men  working  knee-deep  in  ice  water, 
Xindemann  stan.ling  down  in  the  fore-peak,  stuffing  oakum 
and  tallow  in  every  place  from  which  water  came.  IJnder  tlie 
direction  of  Lieutenant  f 'hipp.  a  Inilkhead  was  built  forward 


CAPTAiy   (JKOIiUK    W.    l)E  LOSG 


;M!» 


I 


of  tlu'  forcnuist,  whicli  partially  confiiicd  tho  water.  In  the 
nu'untiini',  Mi'lvillc,  working iiifiht  and  ilay.rijined  uii  fcononii- 
cal  pinnp  with  the  UaMer  hoder,  with  which  the  siiip  was 
punip>-d  for  nearly  ei,!;hteen  months. 

Lieutenant  iJanenhowcr,  who  had  Iteen  sntTerinji  lor  some 
time  with  his  eyes,  had  become  totally  ineapaeitated  for  ser- 
vice, luid  (tn  the  '22d  of  January  sul)mittt'(l  to  an  operation 
performed  hy  Dr.  Anilder.  Two  days  later,  De  Long  com- 
ments on  the  gravity  of  his  own  nsponsihilities  :  — 

''My  an.xieties  are  beginning  to  crowd  on  me.  A  di.sahled 
and  leaking  ship,  a  seriously  sick  officer,  and  an  unea.sy  and 
terrible  i)ack,  with  constantly  diminishing  coal  i)ile,  and  at  a 
<li.stance  of  'J(K)  miles  to  the  nearest  Siberian  settlement  — 
these  an^  enough  to  think  of  for  a  lifetime." 

The  drift  of  \\\v  Jcannelte  for  the  first  five  months  had  cov- 
ered an  immense  area  ;  she  had  approached  and  receded  from 
the  one  hundred  eightieth  im>ridian,  tlrifting  back  to 
within  fifty  miles  from  where  she  had  entereil  the  pack.  By 
till'  ;}d  of  May,  however,  fresh  southeast  winds  began,  and 
the  ship  took  up  a  rapid  and  uniform  drift  to  the  northwest. 
IIoi)e  for  release,  which  had  been  buoyant  in  May,  was  deferred 
until  June,  and  when  that  month  glided  by  with  no  signs  of 
liberation,  it  passed  to  July  ami  gradually  faded  with  the  brief 
passage  of  a  frozen  summer.  The  Jcnnnettr,  again  uncertain 
in  her  drift,  added  to  the  general  disappointment  of  the  com- 
mander. The  ring  of  despair  and  realization  of  failure  are 
voiced  in  an  entry  August  12  :  — 

"01>s(>rvations  to-day  show  a  drift  since  the  Oth  of  five 
and  a  half  miles  to  S.  -38°  E.  The  irony  of  fate  !  How  long, 
O  Lord,  how  long?" 

On  September  1,  tho  Jeannettc  for  the  first  time  since  her  im- 
prisoimient  stood  on  an  even  keel  ;  but  four  days  later,  one 
year  from  the  time  she  flung  her  fortunes  to  the  enemy,  she 
uas  again  ruKl  fa.>t  iri  its  frozen  grip.     During  the  montli  she 


'. 


THE  (iitEAT  wnriE  yoiiTii 


iS 


was  put  in  winter  (iiuirters  for  tlic  second  time.  Tlio  ap- 
l)rou(h  of  till'  luMii;  nij^lit  with  its  addccl  anxieties  l)rouglit 
little  clianjie  to  the  nienil)ers  ol'  the  expedition.  The  (jues- 
tioii  of  fuel  was  the  most  serious  prol)leiu,  and  tlie  amount 
used  was  figured  to  the  most  eeonomical  hasis.  Weary  days 
draiiuied  alouj;;  without  novelty  or  (^han^e.  "So  far  as  1  know," 
writes  I)e  Louu;  in  .January,  ISSl,  "never  has  an  Aretie  expe- 
dition been  so  uuprofitalile  as  this.  l'eo))le  beset  in  the  paek 
before  have  always  drifted  somewhere  to  scjme  laud,  but  we 
are  driftinji  about  like  modern  Flyiiifj;  Dutehmen,  never  get- 
ting anywher(\  but  always  restless  and  (jn  tlii'  move,  ("oals 
are  burninjj;  up,  food  beinji  consumed,  the  pumps  are  still 
goinu;,  and  thirty-thr(>e  people  are  wearing  out  their  hearts 
and  souls  like  men  doomed  to  im))risoninent  for  life.  If 
tliis  ne.xt  summer  comes  and  goes  like  the  last  without  any 
result,  what  reasonable  mind  can  be  patient  in  contempla- 
tion of  the  futun>?" 

Four  long  w(>ary  months  were  to  elapse  before  a  relief 
came  to  break  the  monotonous  situation.  On  May  Hi,  ISSl, 
the  JcunmtU'  stood  in  latitude  7()°  4:5'  20"  N.,  longitude  Kil" 
o!}'  4.')"  E.,  land  was  sighted  to  the  westward,  which  proved 
to  be  an  island  (later  named  Jeanndte  Island),  the  first  that 
had  gre(>t(>(l  the  weary  eyes  of  officers  and  men  since  March  24, 
ISSO,  when  the  shiji  had  Ix'cn  in  sight  of  Wrangell  Land, 
(^n  May  21,  a  s(>cond  island  was  seen.  On  the  31st,  Melville, 
Dunbar.  Xindemann,  and  three  others  started  with  a  dog 
sledge  and  provisions,  for  an  investigation  of  the  newly  dis- 
covered island.  The  party  landed  on  .lune  .'?,  hoisted  the 
American  (lag,  and  formally  took  possession  of  the  land  in  the 
name  of  the  Tnited  Stat(>s  and  giving  it  the  name  of  Henrietta 
Island.  Tli(\v  built  a  cairn  and  deposited  ;i  record.  The 
journey  had  been  frauglit  with  great  danger  and  hardship. 
"The  ice  Ix'tween  the  sliip  and  the  i  ;land  h;id  been  something 
frightful,"  writer  He  Long.     "Aftci'  digging,  ferrying  and  its 


TUE  '•JiJAysLiit:     siyhs 


351 


attendant  loadinji;  and  unloading,  ann-brcakiiig  hauls,  and 
panii'-striekcn  dofijs  made  their  journey  a  terrihly  severe  one. 
Near  theishuid  the  ice  was  all  alive,  and  Melville  left  his  buat 
anil  supplies,  and,  earryinfj;  only  a  day's  provisions  and  his 
instruments,  at  the  risk  of  his  life  went  throuj;h  the  terrible 
mass,  actually  dra<iy;ing  the  dogs,  whi(;h  from  fear  refused  to 
follow  their  human  leaders.  If  this  j)ersistenee  in  landing  upon 
this  island,  in  spit(!  of  the  superhuman  diflicultii's  he  encount- 
ered, is  not  reckoned  a  brave  and  meritorious  action,  it  will 
not  be  from  any  failure  on  my  j)art  to  make  it  known." 

The  a|)j)roach  of  spring  had  revealeil  to  Dr.  Ambler  a  pale 
and  stricken  crew.  Danenhower  had  long  been  a  sufferer; 
Lieutenant  C'hij)])  was  ill;  Mr.  Collins  was  recuperating  slowly 
from  a  severe  illness;  Alexia,  the  Alaskan,  was  sulTering  from 
ulcers,  and  others  of  the  crew  showed  incipient  signs  of  scurvy. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  1881,  while  in  77°  lo'  north  latitude, 
and  loo"  east  longi  'de,  the  Jmunettc  experienced  a  final 
pressure  from  the  ice,  nom  which  she  .sank  within  a  few  hours. 
As  soon  as  it  was  realized  that  \v  fate  was  sealed,  orders  were 
issued  that  all  provisions,  boats,  etc.,  should  be  transported 
to  a  safi>  ilistance  upon  the  ice  ;  this  was  done  without  con- 
fusion or  excitement.  "  When  the  order  was  giv(>n  to  abandon 
the  shij),"  writes  one  of  the  officers,  "  her  hold  was  full  of  water, 
and  as  she  was  keeling  twenty-three  degrees  to  starboard 
at  the  lime  the  watch  was  on  the  lower  side  of  th(>  spar  deck." 

The  men  encamped  ui)on  the  ice,  and  by  four  o'clock  on 
the  morning  of  the  Kith,  "amid  the  rattling  and  banging  of 
her  timbers  and  iron  work,  the  ship  righted  and  stood  ahnost 
upright,  the  floes  that  had  come  in  and  crushed  her  slowly 
backed  off,  and  she  sank  with  slightly  accelerated  velocity; 
the  yard  arms  were  stripped  and  broken  upward  parallel  to 
the  masts;  and  so,  lik(>  a  great,  gaunt  skeleton  clapping  its 
hands  above  its  head,  she  plunged  out  of  sight.  Those  of 
us  who  saw  her  go  down,"  adds  Chief  Eugiueer  Melville, 


i  I 


r 


,;  J 


!  n 


I 


lid 

"i 


352 


THE  nilEAT    WUITE  NORTn 


"did  so  with  mingloil  feelings  of  sadness  and  relief.  We 
were  now  utterly  isolateil,  beyond  any  rational  hope  of  aid ; 
with  our  proper  means  of  escape,  to  which  so  many  pleasant 
associations  attached,  destroyed  before  our  eyes  ;  and  lience 
it  was  no  wonder  we  felt  lonely,  and  in  a  sense  that  few  can 
appreciate.  But  we  were  satisfied,  since  we  knew  full  well 
tliat  the  ship's  usefulness  had  long  ago  passed  away,  and  we 
coukl  now  start  at  once,  the  sooner  the  better,  on  our  long 
march  to  the  south." 

The  following  week  was  .spent  in  preparations  for  the  re- 
treat ;  the  route  was  laid  due  south,  it  being  the  intention  of 
Cajjtain  De  Long  to  make  for  the  Lena  River,  after  a  brief 
stop  at  the  New  Siberian  Island.  The  day's  march  was  ac- 
complished under  the  most  trying  circumstances,  tlie  lateness 
of  the  season  and  the  ruggednessof  the  ice  necessitating  road- 
making,  l)ri(lging,  and  rafting,  or  dragging  the  loads  through 
slush  tuul  water  that  lay  knee-deep  in  the  path.  Tlie  foot- 
gear of  the  men  became  practically  useless  as  a  result  of  con- 
stant wettings,  and  every  dc'vice  was  resorted  to  to  keep  the 
bare  feet  from  contact  with  the  ice.  "A  large  nunjber, " 
writ(>s  Melville,  "marched  with  their  toes  protruding  through 
their  moccasins  ;  some  with  the  'ui)pers'  full  of  holes,  out  of 
which  the  water  and  slush  spurted  at  every  step.  Yet  no 
one  nmrmured  so  long  as  his  feet  were  clear  of  ice,  and  I  have 
hi're  to  say  that  no  ship's  company  ever  endured  such  severe 
toil  with  such  little  complaint.  Another  crew,  perhaps,  may 
be  found  to  do  as  well  ;   but  better,  never  !" 

Nine  loadtnl  sledges  and  five  boats  carrying  sixty  days' 
provisions,  luul  to  be  hauled  acro.ss  the  moving  floes  in  tlie 
course  of  the  day.  The  road  had  to  be  travelled  no  less  than 
thirteen  times,  seven  times  with  loads  and  si.x  times  empty 
handed,  thus  walking  twenty-six  miles  in  making  an  advance 
of  two.  The  sick,  with  the  hospital  .stores  and  tents,  were  un- 
der the  care  of  Dr.  Ambler.     Thus  the  march  over  the  frozen 


i 
is  1 


'■  n 


From  II  luirliiiit  in  tin    pufisi  ssinn  of  .1.  D/i,  rH,  h'sij. 
('.M'TAtN    (  ;.    W .     I)k    I.o.Nc; 


I>' 


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it 

m 

"I 


i 


I 


DAILV  ROI'TINE  OF  OFFICERS  AND   CREW 


353 


ocean  was  continued  for  several  weeks  when,  to  the  conster- 
nation and  dismay  of  Captain  De  Long,  he  found  upon  taking 
ol)servations,  that  by  tlie  northerly  drift  of  the  pack  they 
were  losing  grountl  daily  and  had  drifted  some  twenty-four 
miles  to  the  northwest.  This  disheartening  intelligence  was 
kept  from  the  men,  with  the  exception  of  ]Melville  and  Dr. 
Ambler.  Changing  their  course  to  south-southwest,  the 
party  continued  their  slow  and  wearisome  progress  until  the 
nth  or  12th  of  July,  when  the  mountainous  peaks  of  an 
islam!  gladdened  ihe  eyes  of  the  shipwrecked  crew.  Inspired 
to  renewed  effort,  the  men  pushed  on,  finally  landed,  and 
Captain  De  Long  took  possession  in  the  name  of  God  and  tl)o 
United  States,  naming  this  new  territory  Bennett  Island. 
Nine  days  were  spent  on  this  island,  during  whicli  the  boats 
were  repaired.  A  cairn  was  built  and  a  record  left.  The 
final  d*  ,)arture  from  Bennett  Island  took  place  August  6. 
In  the  meantime,  the  brief  summer  had  gone;  already  young 
ice  was  forming,  antl  the  streams  and  rivulets  that  had  glatl- 
dened  the  men's  eyes  upon  their  arrival  had  disappeared  as 
the  cold  grasp  of  winter  prepared  to  hold  them  fast. 

It  had  been  decided  by  Captain  De  Long  to  divide  the  party 
into  three  sections,  and  to  proceed  by  boats;  to  this  end  Lieu- 
tenant Chipp  was  assigned  to  the  second  cutter  in  command 
of  nine  men  ;  Chief  Engineer  Melville  to  the  whale-boat  in 
command  of  nine  men,  De  Long  reserving  the  command  of 
the  first  cutter  and  twelve  men.  Instructions  to  Chipp  and 
Melville  directed  that  they  should  keep  close  to  the  captain's 
boat,  but  if  through  accident  they  should  become  separated, 
to  make  their  way  south  to  the  coast  of  Siljeria  and  follow 
it  to  the  Lena  River,  then  ascend  the  Lena  to  a  Russian  settle- 
ment. 

For  the  next  eighteen  days,  the  .-etreat  was  made  by  work- 
ing through  leads,  hauling  the  boats  out,  and  making  portages 
across  Hoe  pieces  that  barred  their  progress  ;  and  occasionally 

2a 


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THE  a  HEAT   WHITE  yoHTIl 


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as  much  as  ten  miles  was  made  a  day  to  the  southwest.  Vex- 
atious  delays  vvere  caused  Ity  the  fast  approachinj;  winter,  and, 
up(tii  reachinii  Thadeouiski,  one  of  the  New  Siberian  Islanils, 
the  pinch  nl"  dimiiiishinii  rations  began  sorely  to  be  felt, 
(ianu",  which  had  l)een  occasionally  secured  durinj;  the  early 
))art  of  the  retreat,  had  been  scarce  of  late,  and  the  outlook 
Ix'fian  to  take  on  the  gray  aspect  of  a  despi-rate  future. 

From  now  on,  the  retreat  was  one  long,  tiesperate  struggle 
against  famine  and  gales  and  i)iercing  cold.  Describing  the 
experiences  of  Sei)tember  7,  .Melville  writes  :  — 

"Standing  to  the  southward,  we  shortly  came  up  with  a 
large  floe  alive  with  small  running  hummocks  and  stream  ice. 
It  was  blowing  stitlly,  the  sea  was  lum{)y,  anil  our  boats  ca- 
reering at  a  lively  rate.  Pumping  and  bailing  to  keep  afloat, 
we  .suddenly  came  unawares  upon  the  weather  side  of  a  great 
floe  piece,  over  which  the  sea  was  breaking  so  terribly  that  for 
us  to  come  in  contact  with  it  meant  certain  destruction.  It 
was  floating  from  four  to  six  feet  above  water,  its  sides  either 
perpendicular  or  undershot  by  the  action  of  the  waves,  which 
dashed  madly  over  it,  the  surf  flying  in  the  air  to  a  height  of 
twenty  feet ;  and,  where  the  sea  had  honeycombed  it  and 
eaten  holes  upward  through  its  thickness,  a  thousand  water- 
spouts cast  forth  si)ray  like  a  school  of  whales.  Round  about, 
down  sail,  and  away  we  pulled  for  our  lives.  De  Long,  being 
fifty  or  a  hundred  yards  in  advance  of  me,  and  so  much  nearer 
danger,  hailed  me  to  take  him  in  tow,  which  I  did,  and  to- 
getlier  we  barely  manageil  to  hold  our  precarious  position. 
The  second  cutter  was  away  behind  again,  but  upon  coming 
uji  seiz(Ml  the  whale-boat's  painter;  and  so  we  struggled  in 
line,  and  at  last  succeeded  in  clearing  the  weather  edge  of  the 
floe.  It  was  a  long  pull  and  a  hard  pull.  The  sea  roared  and 
thundered  against  the  cold,  l)leak  mass  of  ice,  flying  away 
from  it  like  snowflakes  and  freezing  as  it  flew  ;  the  sailors, 
i)linded  by  the  wind  and  spray,  pulled  manfully  at  the  oars, 


VIIIKF  ESCISEHi;   MELVILLE 


''M)>'> 


their  l)ure  hamls  frozen  and  hloedins;  and  the  l)oats  to.sscd 
capriciously  al)uut  with  tlic  wild  waves  and  the  >nie(iual 
strain  of  the  tow-line.  Drenched  to  the  skin  l)y  the  cruel 
icy  seas  which  poured  in  and  nifjh  filled  the  boats,  the  (jver- 
taxed  men,  as  they  faced  the  dreadful,  (h'ath-ch'alin};  sea  and 
nmrderous  ice-ed^e,  found  now  life  and  strength  and  piT- 
fornu'il  wonders.  .  .  . 

"Our  boats  were  well  hunched  toRether,  and  although  it 
was  now  pitch  dark,  we  could  yet  for  a  while  discern  each  other 
looming  up  out  of  tin-  t)lack  water  like  spectres,  and  plunging 
over  the  crests  of  the  waves.  Presently  the  .second  cutter 
faded  away,  but  as  mine  was  the  fastest  boat  of  the  three.  I 
experienced  no  difficulty  in  following  Do  Long.  Indeed,  in 
iiiy  anxiety  to  obey  th(>  order  'Keep  within  hail,'  I  at  times 
barely  escaped  running  the  first  cutter  down.  .  .  .'' 

"Toward  midnight,"'  continues  Melville,  "we  approach(>d 
the  weather  edge  of  the  pack,  the  roar  of  the  surf  reaching  our 
ears  long  before  we  could  see  the  ice.  I  involuntarily  hauled 
the  whale-boat  closer  on  the  wind,  and  l)y  so  doing  lost  sight 
of  the  first  cutter,  but  the  terrible  noise  and  confusion  of  the 
sea  warned  me  beyond  doubt  of  the  death  that  lay  under  our 
le(>.  Presently  out  of  the  darkness  there  appeared  the  horrid 
white  wall  of  ice  and  foam.  Not  a  second  too  soon.  '  Ready 
about,  and  out  with  the  two  lee  oars  if  she  misses  stays.' 
This,  of  course,  from  the  heavy  sea,  she  did  ;  and  quick  as 
thought  my  orders  were  oneyed.  As  we  turned  slowly  round, 
a  wave  sw(»pt  across  our  starbf)ard  quarter  filling  the  boats 
to  the  seats.  Ye  dods  !  what  a  cold  bath  !  And  now  we 
were  in  the  midst  of  small  streaming  ice,  broken  and  triturated 
into  posh  by  the  sea  and  grinding  floes,  and  this  was  hurled 
back  upon  us  by  the  reflex  water  and  eddying  current  in  the 
rear  of  the  pack,  which  was  rapidly  moving  l)efore  the  wind. 
With  bailers.  Iiuckets,  and  pumps  doing  their  utmost,  the  two 
lee  oars  brought  us  around  in  good  time,  and  we  Hied  away  on 


b;' 


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the  other  tack,  tlic  waves  still  leiii)iiis  i)luyfully  in  as  tlioufih 
to  keej)  us  busy  and  spice  our  misery  with  the  zest  of  ilanger. 

"When  (Uiy  i)r()ke,  neitiier  of  our  companion  boats  was  in 
si}j;iit.  Tiie  wind  hail  moiU'rated  greatly,  and  we  were  now 
in  (luiet  water  among  tiie  loose  pack,  -  perhaj)s  the  most 
mi,>eral)K'  looking  collection  of  mortals  that  ever  crowded 
shivering  together  in  a  heai).  We  looked,  indeed,  so  utterly 
forhjrn  and  wretched  that  just  to  revive  and  thaw,  as  it  were, 
my  drowned  and  frozen  wits,  I  burst  forth  into  frenzied  song. 
Of  a  truth,  as  we  sat  shaking  tlu>r(\  our  situation  was  nigh 
desperate  ;  we  were  downi  to  an  allowance  of  a  i)int  of  water 
to  each  man  per  day,  now  that  De  Long  was  separated  from 
us  ;  but  upon  the  suggestion  of  some  one  in  the  l)oat,  I  set  up 
the  fire-])ot  anil  made  hot  tea.  ^^'e  were  thus  breakfasting 
when  the  first  cutter  hov(>  in  view.  I  at  once  joined  com- 
pany, and  shortly  after  the  second  cutter  made  her  appear- 
ance and  we  were  again  together.  The  sea  soon  calmed, 
/c.s  miscniblc-s  thawed  out,  the  morning  became  as  pleasant  as 
the  memorable  May  mornings  at  home,  and  we  again  were 
bright  and  alive  with  hope." 

The  following  day,  September  12,  after  a  night's  encamp- 
ment upon  a  floe,  the  party  landed  in  Semenovski,  and  the 
hunters  had  the  good  fortune  to  secure  a  deer,  which  pro- 
vided them  for  the  first  time  in  many  months  a  full  and  deli- 
cious meal.  Cape  Rarkin,  the  point  of  destination,  was  found 
to  be  only  ninety  miles  distant,  and,  after  a  day's  rest  and 
depositing  a  record  at  Semenovski  Island,  the  party  em- 
barked once  more  full  of  hope  and  courage  that  Cape  Barkin 
might  l)e  reached  after  one  more  night  at  sea. 

The  three  boats  sped  forward  to  the  .southwest  in  a  rising 
.sea,  the  gale  increased,  and  the  heavy  seas  grew  hourly  more 
formidab|(>  and  threatening.  De  Long  and  C'hipp  were  ex- 
periencing great  difTiculty  in  the  management  of  their  over- 
loaded boats.     Melville,  in  his  endeavour  to  obev  the  order  to 


A    SHCO.SD    \\'l.\Tt:ti    IN   THE   PA(  K 


8r- 


>i 


keep  witliiu  liail,  was  all  hut  swunipod  by  the  fury  of  the  waves 
as  they  broke  over  the  whale-boat. 

In  an  endeavour  to  answer  signals  from  De  Long,  Melville 
shouted  down  the  wind  that  he  must  run  or  swamp —  De  Long 
waved  back,  motioning  him  (jnward.  Melville  hoisted  sail, 
shook  out  one  reef,  and  tlu'  whale-l)oat  shot  forward  like  an 
arrow.  De  Long  then  signalled  ("hii)p;  for  an  instant  the 
second  cutter  was  seen  in  the  tlim  twilight  to  rise  on  the  crest 
of  a  wave,  then  sink  out  of  sight;  once  more  she  appeared ;  a 
tremendous  sea  broke  over  her;  a  man  was  seen  striving  to 
free  the  sail ;  she  sank  again  from  view,  and,  though  seas  rose 
and  fell,  one  after  another,  the  second  cutter  with  all  on  board 
was  never  seen  again. 

The  whal(>-l)oat  plunged  on  at  a  spanking  rate  and  was 
soon  out  t)f  siglit  of  De  Long,  The  question  now  was  whether 
she  would  outlive  the  gale  —  and  to  insure  greater  safety 
Melville  ordered  a  drag  anchor  to  be  made  of  tent  poles 
weighted  with  such  available  material  as  came  to  hand. 

What  a  night,  lying  anchored  at  the  mercy  of  the  gale, 
l)ailing  out  with  pumps,  buckets,  and  pans  the  heavy  seas 
as  they  broke  over  the  boat ;  hungry  and  thirsty  men,  soaked 
to  the  .skin  with  rejieated  ice-cold  baths,  half  frozen  from 
exposure  to  the  icy  blasts.  A  little  whiskey  was  all  they  had 
during  that  fearful  night,  and  in  the  morning  a  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  pennnican  serveil  as  breakfast  to  the  wretched  crew. 
The  gale  still  raged  about  them  with  unabated  fviry.  But 
by  afternoon  it  had  abated  suflficie.itly  for  them  to  get  under 
way,  and  the  morning  of  the  14th  found  them  sailing  through 
young  ice,  and  in  shoal  waters,  which  they  avoided  by  steering 
to  the  eastward  all  day.  Short  rations  of  a  quarter  of  a  poimd 
of  penmiican  three  times  a  day,  without  water,  was  all  they 
had,  and  another  miserable  night  settled  upon  the  toilers, 
as  they  bailed  the  water-logged  whale-boat,  the  water  turn- 
ing to  slush  the  minute  it  was  in  the  boat. 


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7///;  (,i:EAT  w  iiiTE  yonrii 


The  iiirn  were  now  uiidcrKoinn  severe  sufTeriiins  from  thirst. 
The  followiiijr  day  tliey  were  fortiiiiute  ill  reiichinn  one  iiKtiith 
ol  the  I,eii:i  Hiver,  and,  proceediiifr  up  tliis  stream,  they  dis- 
cniliurked  tor  the  first  time,  after  five  days  of  misery.  Tak- 
ing shelter  in  ii  (h's<Tled  hut,  hilely  vacated  l.y  natives,  they 
thawed  their  acliiiifi  bodies  around  a  ehe<'rinjr  eanip  fire, 
brewed  a  pot  of  tea.  and  ate  of  a  stew  made  of  a  few  birds  sh(.t 
at  .Snieiiovski  Island.  Hut  their  swollen  limbs,  blistered  and 
cracked  hands,  ^rave  them  excruciating  i)ain,  and  another 
sleepless  niy;l,t  added  to  their  misery.  Two  more  toils<,me 
days  were  sp(>nt  pulling  ,ip  the  river  and  encamping  at  night 
under  a  cold  and  cheerless  sky. 

On  the  l<»th  of  September,  ISSl,  Melville's  party  had  tho 
good  fortune  to  fall  in  with  natives,  who  treated  the  foHorn 
men  witti  great  kinilness  and  generosity,  and  on  the  2(ith  of 
S(>pteniberthey  reached  the  Hussian  village  (jf(;eeniovialocke, 
where  they  subsisted  until  they  were  able  to  communicate 
with  the  commandant  at  IJelun. 

rpon  the  separation  of  th(>  !)oats  already  described,  De 
Long  experienced  the  same  threatened  (h'.st ruction  of  the  first 
cutter  that  had  caused  Melville  so  much  anxiety  in  the  whale- 
l)oat.  Aft(>r  three  miserable  days  and  nights  of  exposure  to 
the  merciless  seas,  he  decided  to  make  a  landing  by  wading 
ashore  September  17,  at  a  point  73°  2')'  north  latitude,  2()° 
30'  east  longitude.  ( )wing  to  the  shallow  water,  it  was  found 
necessary  to  abandon  the  f)oat,  and  the  wretched,  enfeel)le(l 
j)arty.  destitute,  save  for  four  days'  scant  provisions,  l)egan 
their  fatal  march  on  the  inhospitable  tundra  of  northern 
Sii)eria.  in  search  of  a  settlement  ninety-five  mih's  distant. 
De  Long's  record  of  this  weary  tramj)  is  one  long  agony  of 
a  slowly  perishing  party.  Everything  was  abandoned  that 
was  not  absolutely  necessary,  but  in  spit(>  of  lightened  loads, 
the  half-frozen  men  limp(>d  and  hobbled  slowly  along.  f;dling 
in  iheir  tracks,  the  weaker  assisted  by  the  stronger,  but  even 


A  si:<u).\n  wrsrKi:  i\  the  pack 


8o9 


then  tho  firouiid  covered  was  iiK'onsi(lcra,l)l(',  so  that  on  Scp- 
tcmlxT  21,  upon  rcacliing  .soiu.'  drserti'd  huts,  De  Long 
records :  — 

"According  to  nu  accounts  we  arc  now  thirty-seven  miles 
away  from  the  next  station  !  and  eighty-seven  from  a  prol)ahh' 
settlement.  We  have  two  days'  rations  after  to-morrow 
morniuK's  hreakfasi,  and  we  have  three  lame  men  who  can- 
not make  more  than  five  or  six  miles  a  day  ;  of  course,  I 
cannot  leave  them,  and  they  i  -tainly  cannot  keep  up  with 
the  pace  necessary  to  take." 

The  hunters  were  fortunate  in  securing  occasional  deer, 
but  the  unfortunate  c;)tidition  of  Erickson,  whose  frozen  feet 
necessitated  the  amputation  of  his  toes,  retarded  their  prog- 
ress, and  October  came  m  cold  and  blustery  to  find  the  mis- 
erable party  still  far  away  from  human  ai<l.  For  nine  days 
more  they  struggled  along  the  barren  shores  of  the  Lena; 
game  faile(l,  and  their  food  was  exhausted.  Krickson  died 
and  was  buried  in  the  river.  Nindemann  and  Xoros  started 
on  a  forced  march  for  assistance  from  the  nearest  settlement 
at  Ku  Mark  Surka  ;  they  carried  their  blankets,  one  rifle, 
forty  rounds  of  anununition,  and  two  ounces  of  alcohol  —  but 
no  food  ! 

On  October  10,  De  I^ong  makes  the  following  entry  :  — 

"One  hundred  and  twentieth  day.  Last  half  ounce  alcohol 
at  '^^^^)  ;  at  0..'iO  send  Alexey  off  to  look  for  ptarmigan.  Eat 
deerskin  scraps.  Yesterday  morning  ate  my  deerskin  foot- 
nips.  Light  S.S.E.  airs.  Not  very  cold.  Under  way  at 
eight.  In  crossing  creek  three  of  us  got  wet.  Huilt  fire  and 
dried  out.  Ahead  again  until  eleven.  I  sed  up.  liuilt 
fire.  ALide  a  drink  out  of  the  tea-leaves  from  alcolml  bottle. 
On  again  at  noon.  Fresh  S.S.W.  wind,  drifting  snow.  Very 
hard  going.  Lee  begging  to  be  left.  Som(>  little  beaeh,  and 
then  long  stretches  of  higli  bank.  Ptarmigan  tracks  plenti- 
ful.    Following  Nindemann's  tracks.     At  three  halted,  used 


v| 


I 


1 

m 

"i 


;5t;o 


77/ A'  (iUHAT    WIIITK  .\nUTII 


up;  (Tiiwlcl  into  II  hoh' ill  the  bank,  collccf.d  wood,  and  Ixiilt 
fire.  Ah'X.'V  away  in  <nirst  ol"  jraiiic.  Nothing  for  siipix-r 
('xc('i)t  a  spoonliil  of  ulyccriiic.  AH  hands  wcaiv  and  ivv\Av 
but  cheerful  —  (lo<l  lielp  us." 

Three  (hiys  later  tiiere  is  an  entry.  -  \\v  are  in  the  hands  of 
(!od.  and  unless  He  intervenes  we  are  lost." 

On  Oetoher  10,  the  faithful  hunter.  Alexey,  l.roke  down, 
and  the  next  day  hedie<|.  On  the  21st  Kaaek  was  found  dead 
between  the  captain  an<l  Dr.  Ambler,  and  about  noon  Lee 
died,  and  on  October  '21  I  )e  Lon^  writes  : -- 

"One  hundred  and  thirty-second  day.  Too  weak  to  carry 
the  bodies  of  Lee  and  Kaaek  out  on  the  ice.  The  doctor, 
Collins,  and  I  carried  them  around  the  corner  out  of  .sij.ht ; 
then  my  eye  closed  up." 

On  Monday,  October  24,  there  is  the  simple  entry:  "One 
hundred  and  thirty-fourth  (hiy.  A  hard  nijrht."  And  three 
days  later,  "Iver.sen  broken  down,"  and  the  ne.xt  day,  "Iver- 
sen  died  during  early  morninR."  On  October  20,  "One  hun- 
dred and  thirty-ninth  day,  Dres.sh'r  died  during  niKht." 
On  October  ;«),  Sunday,  the  last  n'^ord  of  the  brave  De  Lon^ 
was  written:  "One  hundred  and  fortieth  day.  Boyd  and 
Ciortz  died  durinR  night.     -Mr.  Collins  dying." 

The  forced  march  of  Xindemann  and  Noros  is  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  tests  of  human  sufTering  and  endurance  in 
the  annals  of  Arctic  history.  It  is  a  reci.rd  of  travelling  acro.s.s 
the  wilderne.ss  without  food  except  as  tluy  brought  dowii 
an  occasional  ptarmigan  and  lemming  ;  sighting  with  the  eyes 
of  starving  men  a  herd  of  deer  which  fled  l)(>fore  they  could 
approach  sufficiently  near  to  fire  at  them  ;  struggling  through 
wretched  days  to  crawl  into  a  snow  hole  at  night,  W'her(>  they 
lay  the  night  through  wet  to  the  waist,  alt(Tnately  sleeping  for 
fiv(>-minute  intervals,  one  man  rousing  the  other  that  he  might 
knock  his  feet  togeth(>r  to  keep  them  from  freezing  and  taking 
up  th."  march  upon  the  strength  of  an  infusion  of  Arctic  willow 


A   SKCOXD    W  L\TEli   /.V   TIIH  PACK 


:}<;i 


toa  and  luKit-solo.  Crossinj^  a  couple  of  streams  they  souj^ht 
.shelter  from  a  niKi'>K  K'l'c  \n  a  wretched  hut  when  a  refuse 
pile  of  deer  hones  were  burned  and  eaten.  Near  another  hut 
was  found  a  little  rotten  fish  —  this  eked  t)ut  with  strips  cut 
from  seal-skin  clothing  was  all  that  stayed  the  pangs  of  hunji;er 
as  they  inarched  on.  The  Kith  of  ()<'tol)er  found  their 
strength  fast  waning.  Xoros  was  complaining  of  illness  and 
spitting  blood.  Two  days  later  they  reached  a  place  set  down 
on  later  maps  as  Hulcour  ;   it  consisted  of  three  deserted  huts. 

"Near  by  was  a  half  kayak  with  something  in  it.  Noros 
tasted  it.  It  was  blue  moulded  and  ta.stelessto  them,  but  it 
was  fish,  and  they  took  it  with  them  to  the  other  huts.  They 
found  nothing  more,  and  after  gathering  .some  drift-wood  they 
made  a  fire  and  tried  to  find  some  food  in  the  mouldy  fi.sh." 

On  Friday,  October  21,  they  were  too  weak  to  push  on, 
but  spent  the  day  in  careful  husbanding  of  their  resources. 
Measuring  their  fish,  they  found  that  by  taking  each  two  tin 
cupfuls  a  day  they  had  enough  for  ten  days.  Sewing  up  the 
fish  in  their  foot-iups  and  skull  caps,  they  arranged  .straps  to 
these  bundles  for  carrying. 

The  next  day,  while  still  too  weak  to  proceed,  they  heard 
a  noise  outside  the  hut,  like  a  flock  of  geese  sweei)ing  by,  ami 
Nindemann,  seizing  his  gun  looked  through  the  crack  of  the 
door.  Seeing  something  moving  which  h(>  thought  were 
reindeer,  Nindemann  advanced,  when  the  door  suddenly 
opened  and  a  man  stood  on  the  threshold.  Seeing  the  rifh", 
the  man  fell  upon  his  knees,  but  when  Nindemann  reassured 
him  by  throwing  the  weapon  to  one  side,  friendly  communi- 
cation was  established  between  the  stranger  and  the  forlorn 
men.  Sympathizing  with  their  (h'sperate  plight,  he  let  them 
know  l)y  signs  that  he  would  return  in  three  or  four  hours,  or 
days,  they  could  not  tell  which. 

.-Vbout  six  o'clock  the  same  evening,  the  stranger,  accom- 
panied by  two  other  natives,  returned,  hringiiig  witli  tiiein  a 


302 


THE  <;iiEAT    WIIITK   XollTir 


frozen  fish,  which  they  skiiincl  and  sliivd.  and  whih.  \i,Mh'- 
niaiin  und  Xoros  were  dcvourins  liic  first  real  food  that  they 
had  liad  for  many  a  (hiy,  the  men  l.rouKht  in  deer-skin  eoats 
and  Loots  for  tli(>in.  Assistinjr  tliem  into  tlie  sleifrlis,  tliey 
drove  off  with  them  alonjj;  the  river  to  the  westward  for  a 
(Hstance  of  about  fifteen  miles  to  where  some  other  !iatives 
were  h)cat<'(|  in  two  tents.  These  treated  the  saih)rs  with 
fJireat  kindness.  ]i\  sif^ns  and  pantomime  Xoios  and  Xinde- 
mann  tried  in  every  i)ossihl(>  way  to  explain  to  these  natives 
about  I)e  Lonji  and  the  remainder  of  the  first  cutter's  j)arty, 
hut  they  failed  to  understand,  and  two  days  later,  after  reacii- 
injr  Ku  Mark  Surka.  the  same  elTorts  were  renewed  without 
success.  In  (h'spair  of  securing  assistance,  the  men  implored 
to  he  conveyed  to  Helim,  which  th(>y  reached  ( )ctoher  2(). 

.\n  interview  v.ith  the  connnandant  at  liehm  left  the  men 
still  uncertain  if  they  were  understood,  or  the  plij>ht  of  ])e 
Liiuir's  forlorn  party  made  clear  to  the  official,  who,  however, 
repeated  that  he  would  take  a  paper  to  the  '-('aptain,"  who 
Xinth'inann  supposed  to  he  his  superior  officer.  Sick  and 
weak  from  dysentery,  scantily  clothed,  and  insufficiently  fed, 
the  men  were  located  in  a  miserable  hut  which  had  been 
assi<>ned  to  them,  when  on  the  eveniiifr  of  Xovember  2,  ISSl, 
the  door  opened  and  a  man  dressed  in  fur  entered.  As  he 
came  fonvard.  Xoros  exclaimed,  '"My  (i,,«I!  Mr.  Melville! 
Are  you  alive?  W,>  thouj-ht  that  the  whale-boats  were  all 
dead!" 

The  ofhcial,  having  already  knowle.|^•(>  of  the  safety  of  the 
whale-boat's  party,  had  immedi.itely  connnunicated  with 
-Melville,  who  in  all  haste  came  to  Helun.  The  whale-boat 
party  were  now  on  their  road  from  ( '.eemoviahu-ke  to  Helun. 
The  intrepid  .Melville  was  now  determined  upon  an  inmi( diate 
search,  for  I  )e  I.onii's  party,  and  to  this  end  ha.'<tened  l)ack. 
meeting;  Danenhower  at  Hurulak,  where  he  {ijive  him  instruc- 
tions t(.  proceetl  with  the  entire  party  to  Yakutsk,  a  distance 


AIlANDOSMEyT 


363 


of  twolvc  lumdred  m  and  to  coinnnmicato  with  the  Rus- 
sian jfovciniiicnt  luid  •       I'liited  States  niinistcT. 

Melville  was  by  no  .  ( .ms  reeovered  from  his  Ion jj;  exposure, 
and  his  frozen  linil)s  caused  him  great  suiTerinjj;,  hut  never- 
theless he  went  hack  over  the  track  of  Nindemaiui  and  Noros 
step  by  step.  On  November  10,  the  natives  who  had  accom- 
panied him  annoimced  they  must  return  as  the  provisions 
were  exhausted,  but  Melville  commanded  them  to  go  on, 
declaring  they  would  eat  dog  as  long  as  the  twenty-two  lasted, 
and  when  these  gave  out  he  should  eat  them.  Such  deter- 
mination won  the  day,  and  they  proceeded  to  the  .settlement 
of  North  Belun.  Here  a  native  brought  him  one  of  De  Long's 
records,  left  on  the  march.  From  these  natives  he  learned  in 
which  direction  the  n>cords  had  been  found,  and  pressing  on, 
in  ?\)\W  of  his  frozen  feet,  which  were  in  .such  a  condition  he 
could  no  longer  wear  his  moccasins,  he  reached,  November  13, 
the  hut  where  De  Long's  first  record  had  been  left,  a  distance 
from  North  H(dun  of  thirty-three  miles.  Could  De  Long's 
chart  but  have  shown  the  native  settlement  of  North  Belun, 
the  whtjle  jjarty  would  (h)ubtless  have  been  saved. 

On  Novi'mber  14  following  the  northeast  bank  of  the  river 
he  came  to  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Ocean  and  found  the 
flag-staff  where  articles  from  the  first  cutter  had  been  cached. 
Loading  his  sled  with  all  th(>  articles  found  there,  including  log- 
book, chronometer  and  navigation  box,  he  returned  to  North 
Belun.  \\"\i\\  fresh  dog  teams  he  set  out  again  November  17, 
in  an  ench'avour  to  find  the  hut  where  Erickson  died.  Herce 
stonns  and  lack  of  food  forced  Melville  to  take  refuge  in  a 
snow-hole  dug  about  six  feet  square  and  three  or  four  feet 
deep. 

"The  storm  continued  to  blow,"  writes  Melville,  "the 
whole  of  that  night,  tlie  next  dav  and  the  next  night.  It  was 
impossible  to  move  until  the  next  day  morning,  when  it 
cleared  up  a  litth".  but  in  the  mean  time,  we  had  nothing  to 


I  i 


m 


304 


77/ A'  GREAT   WllITK  yoilTU 


rat.  It  was  too  stormy  to  m:iko  a  firo  to  iiuiki'  ten,  uiul  tho 
venison  hones  wliich  tli(>  natives  liad  duji;  out  were  full  of 
mafiKots.  \\v  chopped  this  up  in  little  eultes  and  swallowed 
it  whole,  wliich  made  me  so  sick  after  it  warmed  up  in  my 
stomach  that  I  vomited  it  all  out  aj>;ain." 

Ar(>lville  readied  Ku  Mark  Surka  \ovoml)er  24,  and  at 
Belun  three  days  later,  after  an  absence  of  twenty-throe  days, 
in  which  he  travelled  no  less  than  six  liundred  and  sixty-three 
miles  over  the  ttmdra  of  Xorthern  Siheria  in  the  face  of  an 
Arctic  winter.  I'pon  reachiiifr  Yakutsk  Decemher  30,  1881, 
where  Daueidiower  and  his  party  had  jjreceded  him,  Melville 
retained  Xindemann  and  Harth'tt  to  assist  him  in  tho  spring 
search,  and  instructed  Danenhowerto  proceed  with  the  other 
nine  men  to  Irkutsk,  distant  over  nineteen  hundred  miles, 
from  thence  to  .\merica. 

The  sjjrinjr  search  was  made  under  the  following  instruc- 
tions from  the  Xavy  Dej)artment  at  Washington:  — 

"Omit  no  elTort,  sj)are  no  expense  in  securing  safety  of 
men  in  second  cutter.  Let  the  sick  and  the  frozen  of  those 
already  rescued  have  every  attention,  and  as  soon  as  practi- 
cal >le  have  them  transferred  to  a  milder  clunate.  Dei)artment 
will  supply  necessary  funds." 

In  the  meantime  J.  P.  Jackson,  special  eorre.spondent  of 
the  .\V//-  y„rl;  Ihmhl.  had  arrived  at  Irkutsk,  on  his  way  to  the 
I>ena  Delta.  The  Xavy  Departm(-nt  detailed  L.  p'  Noros 
to  accompany  him.  Lieutenant  Cih's  H.  Ilarher,  U.  S.  X., 
accompanied  hy  Master  W.  H.  Schuetze,  had  been  sent  to 
.search  for  Lieutenant  ("hipp  and  his  party. 

Melville,  with  Xindemami  and  Harth'tt  as  assistants,  en- 
gaged three  interpreters  and  reached  B<-lun  the  second  week 
in  February.  .\  month  was  sj)ein  iu  collecting  dogs  and  pro- 
visions and  establishing  dejx.ts  of  supplies  at  Mat  Vai  and 
Kas  Karta.  On  March  1(1,  ISS'J,  acconii)anied  by  Xinde- 
mann, M<'lville  pnxceded  to  a  place  called  Usterda,  where 


MKL  VILLE  s   SEA  IK  II 


365 


Captain  De  Long  had  crossed  the  river  to  the  westward.  A 
search  was  now  made  for  the  hut  where  Krickson  had  (Ued. 

Snow  covered  the  country  and  efTeetively  ol)hterated  all 
traces  of  previous  travellers.  Storms  forced  their  return  to 
Kas  Karta,  ami  a  fresh  start  was  made.  The  ])arty  divided 
to  insure  a  more  thorough  search. 

"We  followed  the  l)ay,"  says  Mr.  Melville  in  liis  narrative, 
"until  late  in  the  evening,  having  visited  all  the  headlands; 
finally  we  came  up  to  the  large  river  with  tlie  broken  ice.  I 
jumped  upon  the  headland  or  point  of  laud  making  down  in 
the  bay  and  found  where  an  immense  fire  had  been  made. 
The  fire  bed  was  probably  si.x  feet  in  diameter,  large  ilrift- 
logs  hove  into  it,  and  a  large  fir(>  made,  such  as  a  signal  fire. 
I  then  hailed  Xindemann  and  the  natives,  saying  'Here  tliey 
are!'  They  thought  that  I  had  found  the  place  wliere  the 
De  Long  party  had  been.  Xindemann  came  upon  the  ])oint 
of  land,  and  said  that  neither  he  nor  Xoros  had  madi'  a  fire 
of  that  kinil,  oidy  a  small  fire  in  the  ch>ft  of  a  bank  ;  but  he 
was  sure  that  this  was  the  point  of  land  they  had  turned  going 
to  the  westward,  and  that  this  was  the  riviM-  along  which  lie 
and  Xoros  had  come.  ..." 

"It  is  the  custom  of  the  people  here,"  continues  Melville, 
"in  making  a  search  to  go  facing  the  river  and  when  they  see 
anything  to  attract  them,  drop  off  the  sled  and  examine  it, 
or  pick  it  up  and  go  on.  In  this  manner,  atiout  five  hundred 
yards  from  the  point  where  the  hre  had  been,  I  saw  the  points 
of  four  sticks  standing  uj)  out  of  th(>  snow  about  eighteen 
inches,  and  lashed  together  with  a  piece  of  rope.  Seeing  this, 
I  dropped  off  the  sled,  and  going  up  to  the  place  on  the  snow 
bank,  I  found  a  Remington  rifle  slung  across  the  j)oints  of  tlie 
sticks,  and  the  muzzle  about  eight  inches  out  of  the  snow. 
The  dog-driver,  seeing  1  had  found  something,  cam(>  back 
with  the  sled,  and  I  sent  him  to  Xindt  !iiami  to  tell  him  to 
come  back,  he  having  gone  as  far  u])  the  river  as  the  flat-l)oat. 


Ui 


n 


iir,c^ 


Till-:  (Hi  EAT  wiiiTh:  your  1 1 


When  tlicy  rctiirncd  1  stuitcil  tlic  luitivcs  to  difiniiin  out  tlii' 
suow-lt:ilik  Uli(lcnic;itli  tin-  triit-j)ol<'s.  I  supposed  tluit  the 
})urty  liiid  sot  lircil  of  (•;uryiiij>-  their  hooks  mid  papers,  and 
had  made  a  deposit  of  them  at  this  place,  and  erected  these 
poles  over  tlie  papers  and  hooks  as  a  landmark,  that  they 
iuiy;ht  return  and  secure  them  in  case  they  anived  at  a  j)lac(' 
of  safety.  Xin<lemann  and  I  stood  around  a  little  while, 
Kot  upon  the  hank,  and  took  a  look  at  the  river.  Xindemann 
said  he  would  ji<'  to  the  northward,  and  see  if  lie  could  iliscuver 
anythin<>;  of  the  track  and  find  the  way  to  Krickson's  hut.  I 
took  the  compass  and  i)roceeded  to  the  soutliward  to  ji;et  the 
hearings  of  Stolhovoi  and  Alat  \'ai,  .m*  I  mi^lit  ri'turn  there 
that  night  in  case  it  came  on  to  l)l()w. 

"In  proceedinji  to  a  point  to  set  up  the  eomi)ass,  I  saw  a 
tea-kettle  partially  huried  in  tlie  snow.  One  of  the  natives 
had  followed  me,  and  I  i)ointed  out  to  him  the  kettle,  and 
advancing-  to  pick  it  up,  I  came  upon  the  bodies  of  three  men. 
partially  liuried  in  the  snow,  one  hand  reachinji  out  with  tlu' 
left  arm  of  the  man  raised  way  ahove  tin-  surface  of  the  snow 
—  his  whole  left  arm.  I  inune<liately  recoj;iiix(>d  them  as 
Captain  I)e  Lonji,  Dr.  Aml>Ier.  and  Ah  Sam,  the  cook.  The 
captain  and  the  doctor  were  lyiny;  with  their  heads  to  tlu; 
northward,  fac<>  to  the  west,  and  .Vli  Sam  was  lyino-  at  rij-ht 
annlcs  to  the  other  two,  with  his  head  about  the  Doctor's 
middle,  and  feet  in  the  fire,  or  where  the  fire  had  been.  This 
fireplace  was  surrounded  by  drift-wood,  immense  trunks  of 
trees,  aiwl  they  had  their  fire  in  the  crotch  of  a  larp;(>  tree. 
They  had  carried  the  t(.-.-k'4tle  up  there,  and  got  a  lot  ol  Arctic 
uillow  which  they  used  for  tea.  and  some  ice  to  make  water 
for  th.-ir  tea.  anrl  had  a  fire.  They  apparently  had  attempted 
to  curry  their  books  and  papers  up  there  on  this  hifih  point, 
because  they  carried  tli(>  chart  caM-  up  there,  and  I  sui)pose 
the  fatijiueof  <roin}iupop  the  hii-h  land  ])revented  their  return- 
inj:  to  j«ct  the  rot  of  thiir  book-  and  papers      Xo  doubt  thev 


MEL  I  JLLE's   sea  IIVII 


3Gi 


saw  that  if  they  died  on  tlic  river  Ixd,  where  the  water  runs, 
tlie  spring  licshets  would  carry  tlieiii  olT  to  sea. 

"1  gathered  up  all  the  small  articles  lyium  around  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  dead.  I  found  the  ice  journal  about  tliree  or 
four  feet  in  the  rear  of  I)e  Long  ;  tluit  is,  it  looked  as  thouj?h 
he  liad  heen  lying  down,  and  with  his  h-ft  hand  tossed  the  hook 
over  his  shoulder  to  the  rear,  or  to  the  eastward  of  liim." 

"Heferring  to  the  journal,"  continues  Melville,  "1  found 
that  the  wlujle  of  the  people  were  now  in  the  lee  of  the  hank,  in 
a  distance  of  ai)out  five  hundred  yards.  In  the  meantime, 
tiie  native  that  had  gone  for  Xindenuinn  had  brought  him 
back." 

"The  three  bodies  were  all  frozen  fast  to  the  snow,  so  fast 
that  it  was  necessary  to  pry  them  loose  with  a  stick  of  timber. 
In  turning  over  Dr.  Ambler.  I  was  .surprised  to  find  D(>  Long's 
pistol  in  his  right  hand,  and  then,  observing  the  blood-stained 
mouth,  beard,  and  snow,  I  at  first  thought  that  he  had  put  a 
violent  end  to  his  misery.  A  careful  examination,  however,  of 
the  mouth  and  head  revealed  no  wound,  and,  releasing  tlie  pis- 
tol from  its  tenacious  death-grasi),  I  saw  that  only  threoof  its 
chaml)ers  contained  cartridges,  which  were  all  loaded,  and  then 
knew,  of  cours(>,  that  he  could  not  hav(>  harmed  himself,  el.se 
one  or  more  of  the  capsules  would  heemj)ty.  ...  I  b(>Iieve 
him  to  have  l)een  the  last  of  tlie  unfortunate  party  to  perisli. 
When  Ah  Sam  had  been  stretched  out  and  his  hands  cro.ssed 
ui)on  his  l)reast,  De  Long  apparently  crawled  away  and  died. 
Then,  solitary  and  famishing,  in  that  desolate  scene  of  death, 
Dr.  Ambler  seems  to  have  taken  the  pistol  from  the  corpse  of 
De  Long,  doubtless  in  the  hope  that  .some  bird  or  beast  might 
come  to  prey  upon  the  bodies  and  alford  him  food,  —  perhai)s 
alone  to  protect  his  dead  comrades  from  molestation,  —  in 
eitlier  case,  or  both,  there  he  kept  his  lone  watch  to  the  last, 
on  duty,  on  guard,  under  arms." 

It  now  remained  but  to  find  tlic  other  bodies  and  bury  the 


f 


i 


I 

1 

■I 


I 


14 


Ml 

I  J' 


hi 


N  f 


1'! 


I 


;u;8 


r//i;  CHEAT    WHITE  yOHTlI 


dead.  In  due  tinu  this  was  accomplished.  Melville  writes 
of  the  spot  chosrn  as  follows  :  — 

•The  burial  ground  is  on  a  bold  promontory  with  a  perpen- 
dicular face  overlooking  the  frozen  polar  sea.  The  rocky 
Iliad  of  the  mountain,  cold,  austere  as  the  Sphinx,  fro^\^^s 
U].on  the  si)(,t  where  tiic  j)arty  perLshod  ;  and  eonsidering  its 
wcather-l.cutcn  and  time-worn  aspirt,  it  is  altogether  fitting 
ttiat  h.re  tin  y  >liould  rest.  I  attained  the  crest  of  the  prom- 
ontory l.y  making  a  detour  of  !<everal  miles  to  the  southward 
of  its  majes*  ic  front ,  .tnd  then  toiling  .slowly  to  the  top.  Here 
I  laid  out  l.y  (•omi)ass  a  diK-  north  and  south  line,  and  one  due 
east  and  west,  and  when-  th(y  intersected,  I  planted  the  cross 
which  marks  the  toiul>  of  my  comrades." 

"Tl  :e  in  -ight  of  the  spot  where  they  fell,  the  scene  of  their 
sufYer  ag  and  heroic  endeavor,  where  tlie  everlasting  snows 


Ik" 
it! 


woui 
pieri 
dirgt 
heroi 
Li. 
eorro  loi 

was   1!     KJ. 

I  '  iiiiiing 
U:       Tun: 
of       ■  rel 


•ir  winding  .sheet  and  (he  fierce  polar  blasts  which 

r  j)oor  un.  lad  ixxlies  in  life,  would  wail  their  wild 

-'    :dl  tiuK  .        there  we  buried  them,  and  surely 

r  r'ound  a  fitter  r.  sfiiig  place." 

,t  Harl.er  was  also  in  the  field,  us  was  Mr.  Jackson, 

!t  ..f  tlic  .\>(/'  Ynrl:  Herald.     A  thorough  .search 

the  1»-Ila  for  (  hipp's  party,  without  avail. 

avii      a])pr()pr!ated  .S'2."),()(KJ  for  the  expen.se  of 

le   '      Vmerica  the  bodies  of  J)e  Long  and  his 

r):it        Lieutenant  Ilarber  and  Ma.ster  Schuetze 

Ai       ,    icrs.  which  had  been  burned  otT  the  coast 


of  Siberi:.  in  r)e(ember,  ISSl,  left   the  Lena  in  188;i  after  a 
year's  seiich.     .  uging  with  them  tlie  remains. 


es 

n- 

iy 

lis 
ts 

If? 

tl- 
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CHAI^ER  XIX 

IntcTiiatioiial  circumpolar  stations. —  Failure  of  Dutch  oxpwlition. 
—  (Jrccly  fxpcditioii  reaches  I^uly  FraukHii  Hay.  —  Life  at  Kort 
CoiiKer.  Sh'dKe  journey  of  IJraitiard  aiul  I^ckwood.  -  Farthest 
north. —(Jreely's  journey  to  Ulterior  of  (.irinnell  LjuuI.  — Lake 
llazen.  -  Faihire  of  n  lief  ship  Xcfiluiii  to  reach  Conger  in  1SS2. 
— -Official  plans  for  (ireely's  relief  in  ISHS.  — Prukus  crushed  in 
ice.  —  (iarlinnton's  retreat.  —  (Jreely's  abanilonnient  of  Fort 
CoiiKer.  (ireely  reaches  Cape  Sabine. — The  beginning  of  a 
hard  winter.  -  Death  of  members  of  the  party  from  starvation 
and  cold.  —  Schley's  brilliant  rescue  of  the  remnant  of  the  Lady 
Franklin  Hay  expedition  in  1884. 

The  plan  for  ostuhlisliinK  International  Circumpolar  Sta- 
tions within  or  near  the  Arctic  Circle,  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
cortling  a  complete  series  of  synchronous  meteorological  and 
magnetic  ob.servations,  was  outlined  in  a  well-thought-out 
paper  delivered  by  Li(>utenant  Karl  Weyprecht,  A.  H.  Navy, 
before  the  German  Scientific  and  Medical  Association  of 
(Jratz  in  Sej)tember,  187"),  soon  after  the  return  from  his 
remarkable  journey  in  the  Tegetthof. 

Though  Lieutenant  Weyprecht  did  not  live  to  see  his  splen- 
did scheme  carried  into  etTect,  the  cooperation  of  Prince 
Hismarck  and  the  liearty  indorsement  of  the  plan  by  a  com- 
mission of  eminent  scientists,  as  well  as  the  decision  of  the 
International  Meteorological  Congress,  which  reported  "that 
these  ob.servations  will  be  of  the  highest  importance  in  devel- 
oping meteorology  and  in  extending  our  knowledge  of  terres- 
trial magneti.sm,"  resulted  in  the  International  Polar  Con- 
ference, at  Hamburg,  October  1,  1879,  in  which  eleven  nations 
were  represented,  and  a  .second  conference  at  Berne,  August  7, 
1880,  at  which  it  was  decided  that  each  nation  should  estab- 
-  B  .3()9 


1 


370 


TUH  UUEM    WUlTh:  MUtTU 


I  -I  I 


U 


"i 


I 


! 


lisli  one  or  more  stiitions  whoro  synchronous  observations 
slu)iil<l  l»('  tiikcn  Iron)  August,  1S,S2. 

With  thr  cxccpliun  of  the  Dutch  cxjMHntioii,  the  sclicnio 
was  successfully  curried  out  uiul  the  stations  estal)lishe«l  with- 
out accident. 


Norwegians 
Swi'des  — 
Russians  — 

Americans  — 

English  — 

Oerinan  — 

Danes  — 
Austrian  — 


-  Ho>ekof,  Allen  Fjord,  Norway,  under  direction 
of  M.  Aksel  S.  Steen. 

Ice  Fjord,  Sjjitzhergen,  under  direction  of  Mr. 
Ekhohn. 

Sagastyr  Ishuul,  mouth  of  Lena,  Sil)eria, 
under  Lieutenant  Jiirgens. 

Moller  Hay,  Nova  Zemhhi,  under  Lieutenant 
Andreief. 

Point  Barrow,  North  America,  under  Lieuten- 
ant Kay,  L'.  S.  A. 

Lady  Franklin  Bay,  81°  44'  N.,  under  Lieuten- 
ant A.  \V.  (Jreeiy,  U.S.A. 

(Ireat  Slave  Lake,  Dominion  of  Canada,  under 
Lieutenant  Dawson. 

Cumberland  Bay  —  west  side  of  Davis  Strait, 
under  Dr.  ( li<'se. 

CJodthaal),  (Jreenland,  under  A.  Paulsen. 

Jan  Mayen,  North  Atlantic,  71°  N.,  muh'r 
Lieutenant  Wohlgenrnth,  A.  H.  Navy. 


As  to  the  unsucces.sful  Dutcli  expedition,  the  Varna  sailed 
from  Amsterdam  July  o,  1882,  l)ound  for  Dickson  Harbor, 
but  was  beset  in  the  Kara  Sea  in  September;  sin*  was  crushed 
in  December,  1882,  when  the  crew  took  refuge  on  board 
Li(>utenant  Ilovgaards  vessel,  the  Djjmphna,  which  had  al.so 
been  forced  to  winter  in  the  pack.  Nevertlieless,  Dr.  Snellen 
did  his  utmost  to  procure  regular  observations  from  their 
besetment  until  the  following  August,  when  they  started  by 


Ut 


FA  I  LURK  OF  ni'TVlf  EXVFIHIIOS 


371 


boat  and  rth><ljrj.  for  tlu'  coast  of  Nova  Zembla.  By  AuKu«t 
2"),  they  rcurhcd  the  south  point  of  Wainat  Island,  wlnrc  tlicy 
met  till'  SonUnskjnld  und  wi-n-  safely  landed  in  Hainnicrfcst, 
SfptcnilMT  1,  lH8;i. 

The  incstiniahlc  value  of  the  conil lined  and  systematic 
record  of  the  scientific  ohservations  secured  hy  the  Inter- 
national Circunjpolar  Stations  is  a  matter  of  puMic  nrord. 
TIh'  success  was  complete,  and  all  hut  the  American  nation 
iniHht  well  he  proud  of  the  management  and  protection  of- 
fered to  the  fearless  men  detailed  to  the  splendid  work. 

The  unparaUeled  disaster  which  overtook  the  l.ady 
I'ranklin  Hay  expedition  under  Lieutenant  (Ireely  and  his 
hrave  comi)anions,  through  no  fault  of  their  own,  hut  hy  a 
series  of  mismanaged  accidents  for  which  there  was  neither 
excuse  nor  condonation,  leaves  a  hlot  upon  the  American  rec- 
ords which  the  centuries  cannot  obliterate. 

"If  the  simple  and  neces.sary  precaution  had  been  taken," 
writes  Markham,  brother  of  the  famou.^'  explorer,  "of  station- 
ing a  depot-ship  in  a  good  harbour  at  the  entrance  of  Smith 
Sound,  in  annual  communication  with  (Ireely  on  one  side  and 
with  America  on  the  other,  there  woukl  liave  been  no  disas- 
ter" ;  and  he  continues,  "If  precautions  proved  to  be  neces- 
sary by  experience  are  taken,  there  is  no  undue  risk  or  danger 
in  polar  enterj^rises.  There  is  no  question  as  to  the  value 
anrl  importance  of  polar  discovery,  and  as  to  the  principles 
on  which  exi)e<litions  should  be  sent  out.  Their  objects  are 
('.xplorations  for  scientific  purjwses  and  the  encouragement  of 
maritime  enteqirise." 

Lieutenant  (Ireely's  party  consisted  of  three  officers  besides 
the  commander,  nineteen  men  of  the  army,  including  an 
astronomer,  a  photographer,  and  meteorologist,  and  two 
Eskimos.  Sailing  from  St.  John's,  Xewfoumlland.  July  7, 
ISSl,  they  were  conveyed  in  the  sealer,  Proteus^,  to  Littleton 
Island,  whore  they  hunted  up  the  mail  of  the  Akrl  and  Dis- 


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MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TEST   CHART 

ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2 


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■c':>i    L.!-^'.  MUiTf     -itreet 

'^jct-es'ef.  New    'lork  1 1609        uSA 

'If  .    ^8i  -  0.^00  -  Phone 

■■f  ■    .'38       S989   -  Fa*. 


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77/7-;  GREAT    WHITE  NORTH 


'     ^    til 

,    I 


corer;/,  then  proceeded  in  open  water  to  Cape  Lieher,  81°  37'  N. 
There  the  ship  was  delayed  by  eneountering  ice  in  Hall  Bt,--  .. 
By  August  11,  she  had  pushed  tlirough  and  safely  landed  the 
party  at  the  old  winter  cjuarters  of  the  Discovery  in  187o- 
187().  Inmietliate  preparations  were  made  for  building  a 
house,  and  after  all  supplies  were  landed,  the  Proteus  sailed 
home,  leaving  Lieutenant  Cireely  and  his  party  at  "Fort 
('(jnger."  Indications  of  approaching  winter  appeared  as 
early  as  August  27,  anil  the  season  proved  one  of  unusual 
severity.  Sledge  journeys,  hunting  parties,  and  exploring 
trips,  combined  with  r(>gular  duties,  scientific  observations, 
exercise  and  moderate  anuisements,  insured  the  party  a  sea- 
son of  successful  labour  and  good  health. 

Travelling  in  one  instance  a  week,  in  another  ten  days,  in 
frightful  temperatures  averaging  73°  below  freezing.  Lieuten- 
ant Lockwood  and  Dr.  ().  Pavy,  surgeon  of  the  expedition, 
with  their  companions,  endured  tlie  severity  with  suq^rising 
energy.  The  ice  conditions  of  Robeson  Channel  were  ascer- 
tained and  depots  established  at  Cape  Sunmer  for  use  in  the 
following  spring. 

The  sun  left  on  October  15,  and  was  absent  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  days.  The  curious  effect  upon  the  mind 
produced  by  the  long  Arctic  night  is  reconled  in  December. 
"About  the  10th,"  writes  Lieutenant  Greely  in  his  Report, 
"a  few  of  the  men  gave  indications  of  being  affected  by  the 
continual  darkness,  but  such  signs  soon  disappeared  and 
cheerful  spirits  returned.  The  Eskimos  appeared  to  be  the 
most  affected.  On  the  13th,  Jens  Edward  disappeared, 
leaving  the  station  in  early  morning,  without  mittens  and 
without  breakfast.  Sending  two  parties  with  lanterns  to 
describe  a  half-mile  circle  around  the  station,  his  tracks  were 
soon  found,  leading  towards  the  straits.  He  was  at  once 
pursued,  and  was  overtaken  about  ten  miles  from  the  station, 
near  Cape  Murclii.son.     He  n^turned  to  the  station  without 


ll 

ii 

H 

A: 

/il 

til 


ll    i 


w 


f'riini  I,  iMiin/,!,;/  in  tl„    /,„.v,v«.v.v/,y„  i,f  A.  () i„  rt i .   Hsij. 
•' '"■II    David  Lk.i.k  Humwhd.    I'.S.A. 


SLKUGE  .lOinSEY   OF   lillAINAlilJ  AM)   LOCK  WOOD  373 


ohjpction,  and  in  time  recovered  his  spirits.     Xo  eause  for 
his  action  in  this  respect  could  be  ascertained." 

Dr.  Pavy,  who  liatl  spent  the  i)revious  year  among  the 
Eskimos,  said  that  this  state  of  mind  was  not  infrecjuent 
among  tlie  natives  of  lower  Greenland,  and  often  resulted  in 
the  wandering  off  of  the  sul)jects  of  it,  and,  if  not  followed,  by 
their  perishing  in  the  v-old. 

As  early  as  February  19,  1882,  Lockwood  and  Brainartl 
made  a  dog-sledge  trip  to  one  of  the  depots,  deposited  the 
previous  autumn,  a  journey  over  the  foot-ice  of  twenty  miles. 
On  the  29th  of  Fel)ruary,  Lieutenant  Lockwood,  accompanied 
by  Hrainard,  four  other  men,  anil  two  dog  teams,  made  an 
experimental  trip  to  Thank  Clod  Harbor  preparatory  to  his 
proi)o?',ed  grand  expedition  along  the  coast  to  northern 
Greenland.  Visiting  the  grave  of  C'harh's  Francis  Hall, 
Lockwood  NVTote  in  his  journal  the  following  touching  trib- 
ute :  — 

''The  head-board  erecteil  by  his  comrades,  as  also  the  me- 
tallic one  left  by  the  English,  still  stands.  How  mournful  to 
me  the  scene,  made  more  so  by  the  howling  of  the  winds  and 
the  tliick  atmosphere  !  It  was  doubtless  best  that  he  died 
where  he  did.  I  have  come  to  regard  him  as  a  visionary  and 
an  enthusiast,  who  was  indebted  more  to  fortune  than  to  those 
practical  abilities  which  Kane  possessed.  Yet  he  gave  his 
life  to  the  cause,  and  that  nmst  always  go  far  toward  redeem- 
ing the  shortcomings  of  any  man.  The  concluding  lines  of 
the  inscription  on  the  English  tal)let,  I  think  good.  'To 
Captain  Hall,  who  sacrificed  his  life  in  the  advancement  of 
science.  November  8,  1871.  This  tablet  has  been  erected  by 
the  British  polar  expedition  of  1875,  which  followed  in  his 
footsteps  and  profited  by  his  experience.'" 

Dr.  Pavy,  accompanied  by  Sergeant  Rice  and  Eskimo  Jens 
with  a  dog-sledge,  started  ALirch  19,  1882,  for  the  north  of 
GrinncU  Lantl.     A  supporting  sledge  under  Sergeant  Jewell 


I 


'■I 

r   i 


874 


TUK  iiltEAT    WHITE  SOUTH 


iKTunipanicd  hini  as  far  as  Lincoln  Bay.     ( )n  April  1,  an  unfor- 
tunate accid«<nt  to  a  slodKc  runner  eaused  a  five  days'  delay 
at  Cape   Tnion.     Serjeant   Rice  and  Eskimo  Jens  nmde  a 
loreed  nian-li  l.m-k  to  Fort  ("ongiu-  and  secured  a  new  runner 
Mornis  retarded  tlieir  advance,  but  in  spit(>  of  the  roujrh  condi^ 
tion  of  the  ice,  all  supplies  were  brought  up  to  ("ape  Joseph 
Honry  and  left  there  April  20.     Two  days  later  a  vioh'nt 
storm  .set  m,  and  after  it  subsi(h'(l,  the  party  pushed  on  toward 
Uip(>  Ilocla.     A  lane  of  open  water  was  .seen  extending  from 
(  roz.er  Island  round  Cape  H(rla.     As  this  channel  rapidly 
increa.sed  m  width,  a  retreat  was  decided  on,  but  to  his  von- 
sternation,  before  land  could  l)e  nviched.   Dr.   Pavy  found 
Inm.self  adrift  on  a  floe  in  the  Polar  (Jcean.     Fortunately  the 
floe  was  driven  against  the  land  near  Cape  Henry,  and  after 
abandoning    all    articles    not    absolutely    indisj)(>n.sable,    he 
escaped  to  the  maiidand,  but  was  obliged  to  give  up  further 
exploraticins. 

In  the  meantime.  Lieutenant  Lockvvood  had  completed 
hisprei)aration.s,  and  the  advance  party,  consisting  of  Sergeant 
Bramard  and  nine  men  dragging  four  Hudson  Bay  sl(«dges 
l(>ft  Fort  Cong(T  April  3,  18S2,  to  be  followed  the  next  day  by 
Lieutenant  Lockwood  with  two  men  and  one  dog-sledge, 
und(T  instructions  to  explore  the  coast  of  Creenland  near 
(ape  Britannia  '-in  .such  direction  as  (he)  thought  best 
to  carry  out  the  objects  of  the  (main)  expedition,  —  the 
extension  of  knowledge  regarding  lands  within  the  Arctic 
Circle." 

The  5th  of  April,  Lockwood  joined  the  advance  party  at 
Depot  A.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  8th,  they  reached  Cape 
Sumner.  Bags  of  pemmican  were  added  to  the  sledge  loads 
for  dog  food.  The  parties  encountered  violent  gales  and 
extreme  cold  (81°  below  freezing)  as  they  pushed  on  to  New- 
man Bay.  The  hard  experience  of  sledge  travel  was  already 
telling  upon  the  men,  and  at  this  point  four  were  sent  back, 


FAHTHEsT  yo nrii 


37o 


hoinp;  unfit  for  continuod  field  work.  Pushing  on  for  Repulse 
Harbor,  with  three  hundred  rations  and  ei}z;ht  men.  Loekwood 
advanced  in  the  face  of  storms,  rough  ice,  and  broken  sledges, 
at  the  average  rate  of  nin(>  miles  per  day.  The  men  suf- 
fered much  from  snow-blindne.ss,  and  the  unwonted  fatigue  of 
dragging  the  heavy  sledges  through  areas  of  soft,  deep  snow. 
At  Cape  Bryant,  which  was  reached  April  27,  a  rest  of  two  days 
was  taken,  during  which  Hrainard,  with  two  com[)anion.s, 
visited  the  highest  point  of  Cape  Tulford. 

On  the  29th  of  May,  Lieutenant  Lockwood  sent  back  the 
supporting  sledge-men  and,  with  Hrainard  and  the  Eskimo 
Christensen,  the  dog-sledge  and  twenty-five  days'  rations, 
pursued  his  journey  north  across  the  Polar  Ocean  to  Cape 
Britaimia,  which  was  reacheil  May  5,  after  si.x  journeys,  the 
last  a  very  short  one. 

"From  the  top  of  the  mountain,  2050  feet,"  writes  Lock- 
wood,  "which  forms  Cape  Britannia,  I  got  a  good  view  all 
arouml.  Towards  the  northeast  lay  a  succession  of  headlands 
and  inlets  as  far  as  I  could  see  —  some  15  or  20  miles  —  and 
this  was  the  character  of  the  coast  beyond  as  far  as  I  got." 

They  had  followed  out  the  letter  of  their  instructions  and 
had  reached  the  d(^stination  mentioned  therein,  but  finding  it 
possible  to  continue  their  ("xjilorations,  they  pushed  on  over 
land  never  before  explored  by  man,  crossing  the  frozen  ocean 
and  reaching  Mary  Murray  Island  the  10th  of  May.  The 
party  were  now  suffering  from  cold  and  insufficient  food. 
To  husband  their  rations,  they  had  eaten  v(>ry  little  of  late. 

"The  dogs  were  ravenous  for  food,  and  when  feeding  time 
came,  it  was  amid  blows  from  the  men  and  fights  among  the 
dogs  that  the  distrilnition  was  made." 

In  spite  of  serious  delays  by  violent  wind  and  storms,  by 
floes  so  high  that  the  sledge  was  loweretl  by  dog-traces ;  l)y 
ice  so  rough  as  to  nfH-essitate  the  use  of  the  axe  before  they 
could  advance,  and  l)y  widening  water  cracks  which  delayed 


I 


1. 


■i 


i 


:}7»5 


niK  anE.M   wuiTi'  xoitTir 


their  proKicss,  tl.(-s,.  men  pushed  boldly  on,  and  (,,i  \Uiy  If, 
18S2,  i.Kuie  a  world's  record,  reaching  on  that  duv  Lockuood 
Island,  8.r  24'  n<,rth  latitude,  42°  40'  w(>st  louKitmle.  (Jain- 
iiiK  a  eonsid.Tal.le  elevation,  Loekwood  unfurled  Mrs 
(Ireely's  pretty  little  silk<-n  fla^  and  "for  the  first  time  in 
two  hundred  and  sev.«nty-five  years  another  natit.n  than  Eiir- 
h.nd  elann.'d  the  honors  of  the  farth(>st  .u.rlh,  and  the  I'nion 
Jack  save  way  to  the  Stars  and  Stripes." 

From  this  point  the  most  northerly  land  seen  was  Cape 
\\ashmKton  ;  beyond  to  the  north  "lay  an  unbroken  expanse 
of  K-e,  mterrui)ted  only  by  the  horizon."  Haven  ("oast 
trended  to  the  northeast,  in  a  su<-eession  of  hij-h,  roeky,  and 
precipitous  promontories. 

Evidences  of  vesetation  and  same  were  found  in  this  IukIi 
latitude.  Lemminjrs,  ptarmijran,  foxes,  and  hares  found  their 
way  to  these  d(>.solate  shores,  and  small  plants  struggled  for  a 
foothold  in  the  uncongenial  soil. 

"As  we  think  of  Loekwood,"  writ«>s  Chavlvs  Lanman,  his 
biographer,  "at  the  end  of  his  journey,  with  onlv  two  com- 
panions, in  that  land  of  utter  desolation,  we  are  struck  with 
admiration  at  the  courase  and  manlv  spirit  l)v  which  he  was 
mspired.  Bitins  cold,  fearful  storms,  gloomy  darkness,  the 
dangers  of  starvation  and  sickness,  all  combined  to  block  his 
ice  pathway,  and  yet  he  persevered  and  accomplished  his 
heroic  purpose,  thereby  winning  a  place  in  history  of  which 
his  countrymen  may  well,  and  will,  })e  proud  to  the  end  of 
time."i 

The  return  was  even  mor(>  arduous  than  the  advance,  and 
as  they  pursued  their  weary  trail,  thoughts  wandered  to  home 
and  creature  comforts.  "  What  thoughts  one  has  when  thus 
plodding  along!"  writes  Loekwood  in  his  journal.  "Home 
and  everything  there,  and  the  scenes  and  incidents  of  early 

■  Rej.rint.Ml  from  F„rthr.>  Vn.-il,  hy  Charlrs  b;uwr.an.     Copvrij;!.! 
l.SN),  hy  D.  Applet  oil  atul  Coinpaiiy. 


*»     ' 


LAKh:  UAZEX 


.'577 


I; 


youth!  Home  again,  when  tliis  Arctic  experience  sluill  Ix; 
a  thiufi;  of  the  i)ast  I  Hut  it  must  he  c(»nl'e^sse(^,  and  lament- 
able it  is,  as  well  as  true,  that  the  n'miniscences  to  which 
my  thouj^hts  oftenest  recur  on  these  occasions  are  connected 
with  eating.  —  the  favourite  dishes  I  have  enjoyed,  — while 
in  dreams  of  the  future,  my  thoughts  turn  from  other  contem- 
plations to  the  discussion  of  beefsteak,  and,  ('(jually  absurd, 
to  whether  the  stew  and  tea  at  our  next  supper  will  be  hot  or 
cold." 

Joiiiing  tile  supporting  party  at  Cape  Sumner,  the  entire 
party,  sutYering  from  exhaustion  and  snow-l)lindness,  readied 
Fort  Conger,  .June  I,  bS82  During  the  ai)sence  of  I.ockwood, 
Lieutenant  CJreely  had  left  Fort  Conger,  April  2(),  1SS2, 
and  penetrated  (Irinnell  Land,  reaching  Lake  Ilazen,  a  glacial 
lake,  some  five  hundred  stjuare  miles  in  area.  Lake  Hazen 
was  again  visitetl  by  Creely  in  .June.  "Following  up  \'ery 
River  to  its  source,  the  farthest  reached  was  17.")  miles  from 
the  home  station,  between  Mount  C.  A.  Arthur  and  Mount 
C.  S.  Smith,  which  evidently  form  the  ilivide  of  (Irimiell 
Land,  —  between  Kennedy  Channel  to  the  east  and  the  I'olar 
Ocean  to  the  west."  Ascending  Mount  C.  A.  .\rtliur,  the 
highest  peak  of  Oinnell  Land,  Greely  stood  4.5(K)  feet  al)ove 
the  sea,  and  saw  to  the  north  of  Lake  Hazen  snow-clad  moun- 
tains, anrl  distant  country  to  the  southwest  was  also  covered 
with  eternal  snows.  Lieutenant  Lockwood  sul)sequently 
supplemental  Greely's  discoveries  of  the  interior  of  (Jrinnell 
Land  with  the  result  that  jointly  OOOfl  square  miles  of  terri- 
tory was  examined,  an  accomplishment  which  "determines 
the  remarkable  physical  conditions  of  North  Grinnell  Land. 
It  brought  to  light  fertile  valleys,  supporting  herds  of  musk- 
oxen,  an  extensive  ice-cap,  rivers  of  consiilerable  siz(>,  and  a 
glacial  lake  (Hazen)  of  extensive  area.  ..." 

Traces  of  Eskimos  having  wintered  at  Lake  Hazen,  as  shown 
by  permanent  huts,  were  a  source  of  suq^riso  to  the  explorers. 


m 


f 


;! 


I' 


li  ^J' 

14. 

r'i 


:J78 


THE  GREAT   WHITE  NORTH 


"Successful  to  such  a  tlcKrco  as  were  these  Reographical 
<'Xl)luratioiis,"  writes  (ireely,  "they  were  strictly  subordi- 
nated to  the  obligatory  observations  in  the  interests  of  the 
physical  sciences.  Systematic  and  unreniittin>j  nuiKnetif  ob- 
servations served  to  round  out  knowledge  by  enabling  scien- 
tists to  calculate  the  secular  variation  of  the  nuiKnetic  decli- 
nation of  the  Smith  Sound  region.  Apart  from  the  general 
value  of  the  meteorological  series,  it  has  most  fully  deter- 
mined the  climatic  conditions  of  Clrinnell  Land. 

"The  tidal  observations  were  so  complete  at  the  station 
and  so  amply  supi)lemented  by  outlying  stations,  that  scien- 
tists have  determined  not  oidy  the  co-tidal  lines  of  the  Polar 
Ocean  with  satisfactory  results,  but  also  learned  from  them 
that  the  diurnal  ineciuality  of  the  tidal  wave  conforms  at 
Fort  Conger  to  the  sidereal  day.  The  {)en(lulum  observa- 
tions have  been  classed  as  'far  the  best  tliat  have  ever  boon 
made  within  the  Arctic  Circle'  and  the  'determination  of 
gravity  (therefrom)  has  been  singularly  successful.'  liotani- 
cal,  zo()logical,  and  anthropological  res(\'vrches  were  pursued 
with  similar  unremitting  attention,  so  that  the  scientific  work 
of  the  exi)e(lition  may  be  considered  as  satisfactory  and  com- 
plete, —  especially  in  view  of  the  liigh  latitude  of  the  station." 

Summer  had  passed,  and  tliough  the  men  had  scanned  the 
horizon  long  and  earnestly  for  promised  relief,  no  ship  reached 
them.  A  second  winter  passed  in  the  slow  monotony  charac- 
teristic of  tlie  Arctic  night. 

In  order  to  facilitate  his  retreat  in  case  the  relief  vessel  of 
18S:i  faihnl  to  reach  him,  Creely  laid  down  stores  at  Cape 
Raird  before  th(>  sun  returned  in  February,  1883.  Under  his 
orders,  Lieuteiumt  CJreely  was  to  abandon  Fort  Conger  not 
later  than  September  1  and  retreat  southward  by  boat, 
until  li(>  met  the  relief  vessel,  or  Littleton  Island  was  reached' 
where  he  would  find  a  fresh  party  with  fresh  stores  awaiting 
him. 


.  t 


FAILVHE  OF  liELlEF  SHIP  "  JVA'P?  rAA'" 


379 


As  curly  as  Dcci'inlicr  '2,  1881,  active  stei)s  were  taken  at  the 
War  Department  in  Washin^^ton  fur  tlic  relief  vessel  of  1882, 
estimates  for  an  aj)i)roj)riatiun  of  S;i;},(J<K)  asked  for,  and  nego- 
tiations for  supplies  oj)cned  with  firms  at  St.  Jolui's  and  with 
the  Danish  n<»vcrnment  for  stores  to  he  delivered  in  (Ireen- 
land.  In  May,  1882,  a  hoard  of  officers  attached  to  the 
Signal  Service  met  at  Washington  to  consider  plans  for  tlie 
relief  exju'dition.  And  the  ultimate  result  was  the  sailing 
from  St.  John's,  NewfouniUand,  on  July  8,  1882,  of  the  .sealing 
vessel  Xt/Uuiie,  with  Air.  William  M.  Beehe,  Jr.,  a  private  in 
general  service,  and  formerly  Secretary  to  the  Chief  Signal 
Officer,  in  charge  of  the  relief  work. 

The  Neptune  touched  at  Codhaven  on  the  17th  and  took 
on  supplies;  then  directing  her  course  slowly  and  with  diffi- 
culty across  Melville  Bay,  she  came  in  sight  of  Cape  York 
on  the  25th;  Littleton  Island  was  reached  on  the  29th,  where 
she  was  blocked  by  ice  and  obliged  to  return  and  anchor  in 
Pandora  Harl)or.  The  next  forty  days  the  Xeptune  made 
fruitless  efforts  to  enter  Kane  Sea.  In  the  course  of  her  many 
failures  to  penetrate  to  the  north,  she  found  anchorage  between 
Cape  Sa))ine,  Brevoort  Island,  where  Beebe  examined  the 
English  cache  made  by  the  Discovery  in  1875.  This  cache, 
of  so  much  importance  to  Greely's  men  later,  was  found 
to  contain  one  barrel  of  canned  beef,  two  tins  (forty  pounds 
each)  of  bacon,  one  barrel  (one  hundred  and  ten  pounds)  dog- 
biscuit,  two  barrels  (one  hundred  and  twenty  rations  each) 
biscuit,  all  in  good  condition  ;  two  hundred  and  forty  rations, 
consisting  of  chocolate  and  sugar,  tea  and  sugar,  potatoes, 
wicks,  tobacco,  salt,  stearin,  onion  powder,  and  matches,  in 
fairly  good  condition.  Beebe  failed  to  leave  any  provisions 
of  his  own. 

On  August  25,  after  a  fourth  trial  to  penetrate  the  pack,  the 
Neptune  returned  to  Littleton  Island  with  the  intention  of 
making  depots.     Natives  being  in  the  vicinity,  who  in  all 


I 


L 

■1-11 


I'  31 


I 


3S0 


'/7/f;   CHEAT    WHITE  .SOliTlt 


l)rul)ul.ility  would  steal  any  (lcj)usit.s  left,  He-he  coneluded 
t«.  |)ost|)()iie  making  the  caclie  and  pioeeeded  to  Cape  Sahine. 
Here  he  deposited,  aeeordiiij;  to  his  orders,  two  liinulred  and 
fifty  rations,  one-ei^rlitii  of  a  iH,rd  of  hinh  wood,  and  a  whale- 
l)uat.  The  .\i/jlune  then  made  a  fifth  attempt  t..  penetrate 
tlie  paci<,  and  aKain  on  September  2,  her  sixth  and  final  eOort. 
I'lndin-  it  impossible  to  advanee,  she  returned  to  Littleton 
Island,  and  a  seeond  th-pot  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  rations 
was  eached.  She  now  started  on  her  homeward"  voyage. 
.September  :,,  bSS2.  Heebe.  having  carried  out  t(.  the  iVfter 
Ins  mstructions  from  the  signal  offic*',  h.r  the  n>lief  of  the 
Lady  I'ranklin  Hay  expedition,  and  left  two  depots  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  rations,  or  ten  days'  supply,  returned  to 
St.  .John"s.  earryiiiK  safely  from  the  barren  shores  of  the  Arctic- 
two  thou.san<l  rations,  or  a  full  supply  for  thn-c-  months. 

The  ri-turn  of  tlu-  relief  party  of  1882  made  tht-  exi)edition 
that  was  to  fellow  the  next  summer  one  of  Krave  importance. 
In  the  course  of  official  comnnmi(-ation  oji  the  subject  between 

the  ( 'hiefSifrnal  Officer  and  t  he  Secretary  of  War,  ( ieneral  Hazen 
stated  that  "it  is  most  desirable  that  the  officer  and  the 
enlisted  men  who  are  to  fro  nt-xt  year,  be  (h-tailed  as  early  as 
practicable,  in  ordi-r  that  they  may  l)e  trained  and  have  ex- 
fierience  in  rowing  and  manapins  boats,  and  in  the-  use  of  l)oat 
compasses.  ...  It  is  desirabh-  that  men  be  selected  whose 
service  has  been  in  the  northwest,  and  it  is  also  important  that 
the  entire  party,  before  goiiifr,  sliould  be  familiar  with  boats 
and  their  management  under  all  conditions." 

In  the  Secretary's  reply,  the  suRsestion  is  volunteered,  "It 
seems  that  it  would  l)e  nmch  more  desirable  to  endeavour  to 
procure  from  tlie  Xavy  the  persons  who  ar(>  needed  for  this 
relief  party."     To  this  General  Hazen  made  answer  :  — 

"To  change  the  full  control  of  this  duty  now  would  l)e  swap- 
ping horses  while  (-rossing  the  stream,  and  when  in  th(>  middle 
of  the  stn>am.     To  manage  it  with  mixed  control,  or  even  with 


,! 


/•'/■')/,/  ,,  i„,ilriiil  in  IIk   /ii,s.-<i  ssiiiii  ,,i  .1.  Ojurli.  AVr/. 
.Ill  ii.swi   .Ia\ii.s   K.   1,(11  k\\cm.i>.    r.S.A. 


!  * 

m 


i 


'  t 


OFFK  lAL   PLANS   Foil   (iltFELV's   IIHLIEF  IX  is.s.l       381 


mixed  arms  of  the  service  under  a  single  control,  would  he 
hazardous,  and  such  action  is  strongly  advised  against  by  the 
many  persons  of  both  Army  and  Xavy  1  have  discussed  the 
subject  with.  The  ready  knowletlge  of  boats  and  instru- 
ments is  but  a  very  small  part  of  the  indispensal^le  requisites 
in  this  case.  This  whole  work  has  recjuired  a  great  deal  f 
attention  and  study  from  the  first,  and  1  have  not  a  doul)t 
but  any  transfer  of  control  now  would  result  in  failure  to 
convey  all  the  threads  of  this  half-finished  work,  and  that  it 
would  work  disastrously  in  many  ways.  In  view  of  these 
facts,  I  would  consider  the  transfer  now  of  any  part  of  this 
work  to  any  other  control  as  very  hazardous  antl  without  any 
ai)parent  jiromise  of  advantage." 

First  Lieutenant  Ernest  A.  (larlington  of  the  7th  Cavalry, 
having  volunteered  his  services,  was  ordered,  Feljruary  6, 
1883,  to  report  at  Washington.  Since  his  graduation  from 
the  Military  Academy  in  187G,  he  had  served  with  his  regiment 
at  Fort  Buford,  Dakota  Territory.  Four  enlisted  men  who 
had  volunteered  were  also  ordered  from  Dakota. 

The  Proteus  was  chartered  and  made  ready  for  her  voyage. 
A  request  was  made  by  the  Chief  Signal  Officer  on  the  14th  of 
May  that  a  Navy  vessel  should  be  detailed  for  service  in  con- 
nection with  the  expedition,  "as  escort  to  bring  back  informa- 
tion, render  assistance,  and  take  such  other  steps  as  might  be 
necessary  in  case  of  unforeseen  emergencies."  The  Y antic, 
under  Commander  Frank  Wildes,  was  selected,  and  under- 
went such  preparation  as  the  limited  time  permitted. 

(>arlington  was  instructed  to  examine,  if  possible,  all  depots 
of  provisions  and  replace  any  damaged  articles  of  food,  and  if 
the  Proteus  could  not  get  through,  the  party  and  stores  should 
be  landed  at  Life-Boat  Cove,  the  vessel  sent  back,  and  the  party 
sliould  remain.  The  Ynntic  was  to  accompany  the  Proteus 
as  far  as  Littleton  Island  and  render  such  assistance  as  might 
become  necessary.     Lieutenant  J.  C.  Colwell  of  the  Xavy, 


A 


I'i 


it 

,    t 


i      ! 


382 


THE  GREAT   WUITE  yOUTII 


having  voluntocrcd  his  services,  was  dotailefl  to  accompany 
Garlington.  The  Proteus  and  the  Ydntic  left  St.  John's  the 
29th  of  June,  1S83,  and  were  soon  out  of  sigiit  of  each  otiier. 

The  Proteun  encountered  ice  in  Melville  IJay.  (Darlington 
examined  the  Xares  cache  of  eighteen  hundred  rations  on 
Southeast  (  ary  Island,  00  per  cent  of  the  rations  i)roving  to 
he  in  good  condition.  There  is  no  record  that  the  40  per 
cent  were  replaced  from  the  Protctis's  stores. 

Littleton  Island  was  passed  without  a  cache  being  left 
there.  The  ice  prevented  an  advance,  and  (larlington  there- 
upon decided  to  go  to  Cape  Sabine  "to  examine  cache  there, 
leave  records,  and  await  further  developments."  "At  half- 
past  three  the  Proteiit^  came  to  anchor  at  Payer  Harl)or," 
writes  Schley.  "She  remained  at  her  anchorage  from  3:30 
to  8  P.M.  This  stay  of  f<jur  hours  and  a  half  at  Cape  Sabine 
was  a  turning-point  in  the  history  of  the  relief  expedition.  It 
was  made  up  of  golden  moments.  It  is  true  that  no  one  could 
predict  that  liy  that  time  next  day  the  Proteus  w<nild  be  at  the 
bottom  of  the  Kane  Sea.  It  is  also  true  that  (larlington's 
instructions  had  been  officially  construeil  as  not  including  the 
formation  of  depots  on  the  way  north,  and  that  the  impor- 
tance of  reaching  Lady  Franklin  Bay  had  been  impressed 
upon  his  mind  as  the  main  purpose  of  his  enterprise.  At 
the  same  time  it  was  known  with  tolerable  certainty  that  two 
months  later  (freely  would  be  at  that  point,  if  he  carried  out 
his  intentions  ;  and  the  commander  of  the  relief  expedition, 
although  not  expressly  directeil  to  land  anywhere,  had  been 
instructed  that  if  landings  should  be  made  at  points  where 
caches  of  provisions  were  located,  he  was,  if  possible,  to  {ex- 
amine them,  and  replace  any  damaged  articles  of  food. 

"  Now  there  were  two  caches  at  or  near  C^ape  Sa])ine.  One 
of  them,  left  by  Beebe  the  year  before,  was  around  the  point 
of  the  cajK'.  The  other,  left  by  Xares  in  1S7"),  was  on  Stalk- 
necht  Island,  a  long,  low  rock  in  the  harbour  itself,  due  west 


"■PROTEUS'"   CRVHHEI)   IN   ICE 


383 


from  Brovoort  Island,  and  close  to  it.  The  position  of  the 
cache  was  well  known.  Beel)e  had  visited  it  in  1882.  The 
Proteus  was  now  at  Payer  Harbor,  prol)al)ly  within  half  a  mile 
of  Stalknecht  Island  ;  and  on  board  the  vessel  were  the  four 
depots  of  provisions,  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  rations  each, 
that  had  been  arranged  at  Disco  to  be  in  readiness  for  landing 
at  some  time  and  at  any  time." 

(jarlington  ordered  two  privates  to  land  and  take  a  set  of 
observations,  while  he  went  with  a  party  of  men  to  examine 
the  caches.  The  repair  of  a  cache  and  the  set  of  observations 
are  all  the  work  reported  as  having  been  done  at  Cape  Sabine 
on  the  way  north. 

(Jarlington  then  put  to  sea,  and  followed  the  open  leads 
of  water  to  the  northward.  After  an  advance  of  twenty 
miles,  the  ship  was  stopped  by  the  pack  near  Cape  Albert. 
The  following  day  she  was  crushed,  and  the  crew  and  relief 
party  took  to  the  floe,  throwing  overboard  such  stores  and 
provisions  as  came  to  hand.  Lieutenant  Colwell  was  the  last 
man  to  leave  the  ship.  Garlington  and  his  party  of  fifteen 
men,  two  whale-boats,  and  provisions  for  forty  days  reached 
Cape  Sabine  in  safety.  He  now  followed  the  "  Wildes-Gar- 
hngton  agreement,"  which  said  "Should  Proteus  be  lost, 
push  a  boat  with  party  south  to  Yantic." 

Garlington's  record  left  by  him  on  Brevoort  Island  read  in 
part :  — 

"Depot  landed  ...  500  rations  of  bread,  tea,  and  a  lot 
of  canned  goods.  Cache  of  250  rations  ;  left  V)y  expedition  of 
1882,  visitcHl  by  me,  and  found  in  good  condition.  Englisli 
depot  in  damaged  condition,  not  visited  by  me.  Cache  on 
Littleton  Island  ;  boat  at  Isabella.  U.  S.  S.  Yantic  on  her 
way  to  Littleton  Island,  with  orders,  not  to  enter  ice  .  .  .  I 
will  endeavour  to  communicate  with  these  vessels  at  once. 
Everything  in  power  of  man  will  be  done  to  rescue  the 
(Greely's)  brave  men." 


til 


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m 

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it 

1 

4- 

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i  55 


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:JS4 


77/ fc'  CHEAT   WHITE  NOliTIf 


"It  tmiispiml,"  writes  (Im'ly,  "tliut  tlicro  was  no  Ixnit 
at  I>al)<'lla  ;  that  ( larliiigtou's  orders  to  rei)laec  danuif^ed 
caches  were  imperative  and  (Hsoheyed  ;  that  lie  had  no  knowl- 
ed«ie  tliat  the  Littleton  Island  cache  was  safe;  that  at 
Saliine  he  took  every  pound  of  food  he  could  reach,  thouj^h 
told  that  (Ireely  was  provisioned  only  to  August,  ISS.'i ; 
and  that  after  ("olwell's  skill  had  l)roufj;ht  (larUnffton  safe  to 
the  Ydtitic,  he  did  not  even  ask  Wilde  to  j^o  north  and  lay  down 
food  for  (ireely,  otherwise  dooineil  to  starvation.'' 

On  Sej)tein!)er  i:i,  1883,  Carlinjiton  wrote  from  St.  John's. 
Newfoundland,  to  the  Chief  Signal  Officer,  U.  S.  A.,  Washing- 
ton :  — 

"It  is  my  painful  duty  to  report  total  failure  of  the  expedi- 
tion. The  Protcu.s  was  crushed  in  pack  in  latitude  70°  02', 
longitude  74°  25',  and  sunk  on  the  afternoon  of  the2:id  July. 
•My  party  and  crew  all  saved.  Made  my  way  across  Smith 
Sound  and  along  eastern  shor(>  of  Cape  York  ;  thence  across 
.M(>lville  Bay  to  Upernavik,  arriving  there  on  24th  Aug. 
The  Yontic  reached  I'pernavik  2(1  Sept.  and  left  same  day, 
bringing  entire  party  here  to-day.     All  well." 

To  teh'graphic  inquiries  from  the  Signal  Office  asking 
what  stores  had  l)een  left  for  Greely.  came  answer  :  — 

"No  stores  landed  before  sinking  of  ship.  About  five 
hundred  rations  from  those  saved,  cached  at  Cai^e  Sabine; 
also  large  cache  of  clothing.  By  the  time  suitable  vessels 
could  l)e  procured,  filled,  jirovisioned,  etc.,  it  would  be  too 
late  in  the  season  to  accomj)lish  anything  this  year." 

We  leave  to  the  imagination  the  alarm  aroused  ])y  the 
sudden  realization  of  what  this  failure  meant  to  our  fellow- 
countrymen  at  Fort  Conger.  From  July,  1882,  to  August, 
1883,  not  less  than  50,000  rations  were  takeri  in  the  steamers 
Xeptune,  Yantic,  and  Protnis,  up  to  or  l^eyond  Littleton  Island, 
and  of  that  numlxT  about  1000  were  left  in  that  vicinity,  the 
remaind(>r  l)eing  returned  to  the  I'nited  States  or  sunk  with 
the  Prutcn^. 


1 


r» 


GARLfXaroX  S   nElliKAT 


385 


*»1 


The  (late  of  Gailiiigton's  letter  read  '"September  13." 
With  wljut  horror  did  it  dawn  upon  the  i)ul)lic  mind  that  tiie 
abandonment  of  the  well-supplied  station  at  Fort  ('on}i;er 
was  (jnh'red  "not  later  than"  Septenil)er  1.  Even  now 
(Jreely  and  his  men,  leaving  behind  them  a  seant  year's 
army  rations,  and  carrying  with  them  every  pound  of  food 
possible,  were  making  their  hazardous  retreat  in  "hea\ily 
laden  boats  tlirough  water-waj's  erowd(>(l  with  wv,  acted  on 
])y  strong  currents  and  high  winds,  the  recurring  heavy  gales, 
keeping  the  pack  in  constant  motion,  to  and  fro  against  the 
precipitous  and  rockbound  coast." 

"Time  and  again,"  writes  (Ireelj',  ''onh'  the  most  desjjerate 
efforts  and  measures  .secured  the  safety  of  the  sp 'cially 
strengthened  launch,  whil(>  the  whale-boat  escaped  destruction 
only  by  speedy  unloading  and  drawing-uj)  on  floes.  Every 
cache,  however  small,  was  taken  up,  (>niling  wnth  damageil, 
mouldy  bread,  etc.,  at  Cape  Hawks." 

Fort  Conger  had  b(>en  abandoned  August  0,  1883  ;  on 
September  13,  the  whale-i)oat  had  been  left  behind  (afterward 
recovered),  and  the  men  were  fighting  their  di'sperate  way 
across  the  pack  to  the  shore.  The  following  day  Greely 
made  this  entry  in  his  journal  :  — 

"The  absence  of  sufficient  light  to  east  a  shadow  has  had 
verj'  unfortunate  results,  as  several  of  the  men  in  the  past 
few  days  have  been  sadly  l)ruised  or  strained.  When  no 
shadows  fonn  and  the  light  is  feeble  anil  l)len(letl,  there  is  tlie 
same  uncertainty  about  one's  walk  as  if  the  deepest  darkness 
prevailed.  The  most  careful  observation  fails  to  advise  you 
as  to  whetluT  the  next  step  is  to  be  on  a  level,  up  an  incline,  or 
over  a  precipi(;e.  These  conditions  are  perhaps  the  most 
trying  to  Sergeant  Brainard,  who,  being  in  advance  selecting 
our  road,  finds  it  necessary  to  travel  as  rapidly  as  possible. 
A  few  bad  falls  quite  demoralize  a  man,  and  make  him  more 
than  ever  ilouljtful  of  his  senses.  Travelling  slowly,  with  our 
2. 


M  ( 


I 


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M 


i 


ii 


;i«G 


rUE  GUKAT    WHITE  SOliTll 


lu':i\  ily  hulcu  slcdijos,  w(>  riuvly  sufTcr  much  from  this  trouble, 
iis  our  steps  iuc  slow  uud  uuccrtaiu  at  the  Ix'st,  l)ut  when  a 
jiir  docs  conic  on  u  man  puUinj^  his  l)cst,  it  ^ivcs  his  system  a 
fJSreat  shock  and  strain." 

On  Scjjtcnihi'r  17,  all  articles  that  were  not  of  vital  impor- 
tance were  abandoned,  and  yet  tlu>  men  were  hauling  about 
six  thousand  pounds.  At  the  end  of  a  weary  day  Serj^cant 
Hrainard  wrote  in  his  journal :  — 

"Turned  in  at  11  p.m.,  after  ten  hours  of  the  sovorost 
l)hysical  strain.  As  the  sleepiiiif-bags  (of  those  of  us  in  the 
tepee)  are  protected  from  the  ice  by  only  one  thickness  of 
canvas,  our  comfort  can  l)e  imaj^ined." 

Three  days  later  he  adds  :  — • 

"  \\  (•  are  m)\\  carryinp;  l)urdens  which  wouki  crush  ordinary 
men,  l)ut  the  te.xture  of  the  jiarty  is  of  the  riRht  sort,  and 
ailversity  will  have  very  little  effect  on  our  spirits." 

On  Sej)teinber  2!),  1883,  (Jreely  ma(h'  a  landing  at  a 
point  midway  between  Cape  Sabine  and  Isabella,  after  fifty- 
one  days  of  the  most  arduous  travel. 

"The  retreat  from  Conger  to  Cape  Sabine,"  writes  (Iroely, 
"involved  over  four  hundred  miles'  travel  by  boats,  and  fully 
a  hundred  with  sledge  and  boat ;  the  greater  part  of  which 
was  made  under  circumstances  of  such  great  peril  or  immi- 
nence of  dang(>r  as  to  test  to  the  utmost  the  courage,  coolness, 
and  en(luranc(^  of  any  party,  and  the  cai)acity  of  any  com- 
mander. As  to  my  officers  and  men,  it  is  but  scant  justice  to 
say  that  they  facetl  resolutely  every  danger,  endured  cheerfully 
every  hardship,  and  were  fully  etiual  to  every  emergency 
(aiul  they  were  many)  of  our  eventful  retreat." 

On  October  5,  Li(>utenant  Lockwood  says  :  — 

"We  have  now  three  chances  for  our  lives  :  First,  finding 
American  cac.'he  sufficient  at  Sabine  or  at  Isabella  ;  second, 
t)f  crossing  the  straits  when  our  present  rations  are  gone  ; 
third,  of  shooting  sufficient  seal  aiid  walrus  near  by  here  to 


VI 


(iUKELY's   AliAShOyMF.yr  OF  FORT  COSaFi:      '•\Xl 

last  (luring  tho  winter.     Our  situation  is  certainly  ahinniiiK  in 
the  extreme." 

These  men  were  shelterless,  with  hut  a  small  food  supply, 
with  impassable  harriers  of  ice  n<trth  and  south.  "Sonu! 
hunted  on  land,  others  on  ice;  some  put  up  stot.e  huts, 
others  searched  for  cairns  and  records."  The  .\rctic  night 
had  settled  upon  them  lu-fore  their  huts  were  barely  finished, 
these  huts  of  heavy  granite  stones,  dug  from  the  snow  and  ice, 
lifted  with  .swollen  and  bleeding  hands,  put  in  i)lace  with 
hack-l)reaking  efforts,  by  enfeel)led,  weary  men.  and  into 
them  they  crawled  with  torn  clothing,  hand  and  footgear  in 
holes,  covering  shivering,  aching  bodies. 

In  this  desperate  plight,  scouts  returned  with  news  of  the 
sinking  of  the  Proteus  and  with  the  notice  from  Lieutenant 
(larlington,  describing  the  disaster,  his  plans  and  lii>  retreat, 
and  the  caches  of  i)rovisions  at  (  ape  Sabine.  Kelying  on  the 
expressed  promise  that  "everything  within  the  power  of  man 
will  be  done  to  rescue  the  brave  men  at  Fort  Conger  from 
their  perilous  position,"  (Ireely  at  once  endeavoured  to  move 
his  i)arty  near  that  point.  "Camp  ("lay  "  was  estal>lished  on 
Bedford  Pim  Island,  which  was  reached  October  lo,  with  forty 
days'  rations  to  tide  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  days  of  dark- 
ness and  misery  until  help  could  come.  Another  hut  was 
erected  by  the  same  arduous  methods  employed  in  building 
former  huts.  The  rock  walls  were  about  two  feet  thi<'k 
and  three  feet  high  ;  outside  this  wall  was  an  embankment  of 
snow  at  first  four  feet  thick,  hut  as  the  season  advanced  the 
winter  gales  buried  the  hut  entirely  in  snow. 

"The  whale-lioat  just  caught  on  the  end  walls,  juid  under 
that  boat  was  th(>  only  place  in  which  a  man  could  even  get 
on  his  knees  and  hokl  himself  erect.  Sitting  in  our  l)ags, 
the  h(>ads  of  the  tall  men  touched  the  roof."  "Compared  to 
our  previous  quarters."  writes  (Jreely.  "the  house  is  warm,  but 
we  are  so  huddled  and  crowded  together  that  the  confinement 


i; 


ilHH 


TlIK  (illF.AT   WHITE  yoitTI! 


i 


n 


Ul 


is  uliiHisl  iiitolt'r;il>l('.  The  men,  though  wretched  from  cold, 
hard  work,  tiiid  liuiifj;er,  yet  retain  their  spirits  wonderfully." 

It  now  behooved  the  jnirty  to  Kidher  in  the  stores  from 
all  tlie  caches,  and  this  was  done  under  the  most  trying  condi- 
tions. The  news  of  the  loss  of  tiie  Janiintlc  was  learned  hy  a 
newspaper  found  anions;  the  stores  and  hroufjlit  in  with  other 
articles.  Records  and  instruments  of  the  Lady  Kranklin 
Hay  expedition  were  safely  cai'hed  early  in  October  on  Stalk- 
necht  Island. 

Durinj;  the  few  remaining  days  of  lij:;ht,  the  hunter,  Long, 
with  the  Ivskimo,  r(>maine(l  out  of  the  floe  in  the  intense  cold, 
ill  fed,  without  shelter,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  seals  or 
otlier  jjame  that  mi}>;ht  l)e  seen.  .V  seal  was  all  that  was  se- 
cured under  the  most  tryinj;  circumstances. 

When  certain  of  the  stores  were  examined  to  ascertain 
their  con<lition,  the  dog  biscuits  were  evidently  bad,  but 
''When  this  l)read,  thoroujiiily  rotten  and  covered  with  green 
mould,  was  thrown  on  the  ground,  the  half-famished  men 
sprang  to  it  as  wild  animals  would."  ( )ctol)er  2().  18S3,  marked 
the  last  day  of  sunlight  for  one  hundred  and  t(>n  days.  The 
hunters  still  pursued  their  labours,  but  without  success.  How- 
ever, on  the  last  day  of  the  month,  ''Render  was  fortunate 
enough  to  kill  a  blue  fox  with  his  fist  ;  it  was  caught  with  its 
head  in  a  meat-can." 

All  rations  had  been  collected  excej)t  one  hundred  and 
forty-four  pounds  of  beef  cached  by  Xares  in  1875,  forty 
miles  distant  at  Cape  Isabella.  A  further  reduction  of  the 
quantity  of  foofl  served  to  each  man  was  inaugurated  No- 
vember I.  The  following  day  Rice,  Frederick,  Elison,  and 
Lynn  started  in  the  Arctic  night  for  Cajjc  Isabella;  on  the 
fifth  day  out  they  reached  their  destination  after  the  most 
hazardous  travel  in  temperatures  ranging  from  —20° 
to  —25°  with  only  si.xteen  ounces  of  food  per  day  to  each 
man.     Taking  up  their  caclie  of  meat,  they  started  on  tiie 


GREKl.Y   UEACllEfi   (AVE  SAIUSE 


:5M1) 


rf'turn  journey.  On  rcucliing  their  first  ciiini*  after  fourteen 
hours  of  hard  travel,  Khson,  who  liuil  done  this(hiy's  work  on  a 
eupof  teaand  nofo(»d,  was  found  to  have  frozen  both  his  hands 
and  feet.  "Our  slccpins-haK  was  no  more  nor  less  than  a 
sheet  of  ice,"  writes  Frech'rick  in  his  journal.  "I  placed  one 
of  Elison's  hands  between  my  thighs,  and  l{iee  took  the  other, 
and  in  this  way  we  drew  the  frost  from  his  poor  frozen  limbs. 
This  poor  fellow  cried  all  nisht  from  pain.  This  was  one  of 
the  worst  nights  I  ever  spent  in  the  .Vrctic." 

Continuing  the  ne,\t  two  days  with  their  half-frozen  eoni- 
radi",  they  reacluMl  Eskimo  Point.  Here  they  cut  up  an 
abandoned  ice-boat  for  fuel,  and  endeavoured  to  thaw  out 
Elison's  limbs  and  dry  his  clothinp;.  '"  When  the  poor  fellow's 
face,  feet,  and  hands  commenced  to  thaw  from  the  artificial 
heat,"  says  Frederick,  "his  sufferings  were  such  that  it  was 
enough  to  bring  the  strongest  to  tears." 

After  labouring  nineteen  hours  for  t!'f>  welfare  of  their 
suffering  comrade.  Rice  and  Frederick  .ipted  to  advance. 

—  "\V(>  tried  to  keep  Elisou  in  front  ot  s,  but  to  no  avail. 
He  would  stagger  off  to  one  side,  and  it  seemed  every  nioment 
that  the  frost  was  striking  deeper  into  the  poor  man's  flesh. 
We  fastened  a  rope  to  his  arm  and  the  sledge,  as  it  now  'ook 
three  men  to  haul  our  load,  ))ut  every  few  rods  the  poor  fellow 
would  fall,  and  then  sometimes  he  was  dragged  several  feet. 
No  person  can  imagine  liow  that  })oor  man  suffered." 

Unable  to  haul  Elisou  any  fartluT,  in  the  face  of  a  gale 
and  the  piercing  temperature  of  —20°,  it  was  decided  that  Rice 
should  .start  for  Camp  Clay  for  assistance.  With  only  a  bit  of 
frozen  meat  for  food,  he  started  alone  in  the  Arctic  darkness 
and  travelled  twenty-five  miles  in  sixteen  hours,  reaching  the 
camp  at  midnight.  Immediate  relief  was  started,  Sergeant 
Brainard  and  Christiansen  leading  the  advance,  to  be  fol- 
lowed two  hours  later  by  Lieutenant  Lockwood,  the  doctor, 
and  four  of  the  men. 


\   i 


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in  ■ 


.'!!)() 


riiK  a  HEAT  uiiiTH  soirnt 


i 

'   4. 

•f  t 


-  9 


The  f.'jirfiil  night  spont  by  Frederick,  Lv-nn.  nn«l  their 
I'ro/.cii  cmipjinioii  can  hurlly  he  picturccL  "We  tried  to 
warm  liini,"  says  Krcdiiick,  •■l)iil  as  \vc  lay  helpless  and 
sliiveriiiK  with  the  c(j|(l,  and  jjoor  I'^lison  groaniny  with  hun- 
ger (his  frozen  lips  did  not  permit  him  to  n'liiw  the;  frozen 
meat)  and  pain,  you  can  imaj^ine  how  we  felt.  Lymi  was  a 
t^tronK.  al»le-!K»(li(«(l  man,  hut  the  mental  strain  caused  hy 
Elison's  sulferiiijis  made  him  weak  and  helpless.  In  fact, 
I  was  afraid  that  his  mind  would  he  impaircfl  at  one  time. 
We  were  l)ut  a  few  hours  in  the  hag  when  it  hecanie  fnjzen  so 
hard  that  we  could  not  turn  over,  and  we  had  to  lay  in  one 
position  eifihteen  hours;  until,  to  our  great  relief,  we  heard 
Jirainard's  cheering  voice  at  our  siil  •.  There  was  nothing 
more  welcome  than  the  presen<;e  of  that  noble  man.  who  had 
come  in  advance  with  brandy  for  Klison  and    food  for  all." 

The  rescue  party,  altliough  weak  and  half-starved  them- 
.selves,  reached  Klison  with  all  despatch  to  find  him  in  a  very 
critical  condition;  his  hands  and  feet  were  frozen  solid;  his 
lace  frozen  to  such  an  extent  that  there  was  little  .semblance 
of  humanity. 

If  November  was  ushered  in  with  such  misfortune,  the 
.succeeding  months  record  a  history  of  unparalleled  misery  and 
suffering.  The  hunters  were  ever  on  the  alert,  and  the  occa- 
sional game  ])rought  in  was  the  only  cheer  that  surrounded 
these  fatnishing  outcasts.  A  seal,  a  bear,  a  few  foxes,  dovekies, 
and  ptarmigan  were  all  that  the  desolate  land  gave  forth  to 
the  unremitting  vigilance  of  the  hunters,  and,  reduced  to  the 
last  extremities  of  famine,  shrimps,  seaweed,  reindeer-moss, 
saxifrage,  and  lichens  were  diligently  sought  for  and  devour(>d. 

( )n  Thanksgiving  Day,  —  what  irony  in  the  mere  name,  — 
these  men  celebrated  by  a  little  extra  allowance  of  food  —  and 
(Jreely  wrote  in  his  journal  :  — 

"To-day  we  have  been  almost  happy,  and  had  almost  enough 
to  e.at." 


77//;  nK(;i\M\u  of  a  n.iitn  wimkh 


:m 


On  DcceinlxT  »,  thore  is  rejoicing  Ihh-uusc  Hruiii:ii<l  and 
LoiiK  shot  two  blue  foxes. 

"Wj"  are  all  very  weak,"  writes  Lieutenant  Lockwood,  ten 
(lays  later,  "and  I  feel  i>n  apathy  and  cloudiness  impossil.h. 
to  shake  olT.  It  is  a  >?reat  difficulty  to  know  each  ni^lit  just 
how  much  hread  to  save  for  hreaktast  on  the  niorntw,  hun- 
Rer  to-niKht  fights  hunger  to-morrow  morniiiM;.  I  always  cat 
my  hread  rejiretfully.  If  I  eat  it  i.efore  tea,  I  renret  that  I  did 
not  keep  it  ;  and  if  I  wait  imtil  tea  comes,  and  then  cat  it,  I 
drink  my  tea  hastily  and  do  not  get  the  satisfaction  I  other- 
wise would.  What  a  miseratile  life,  when  a  few  crumbs  of 
bread  weigh  so  on  one's  mind  !  It  seems  to  he  so  with  all  the 
rest.  All  sorts  of  exi)edients  are  tried  to  cheat  one's  stomach, 
but  with  about  the  same  result." 

On  DocembtT  21,  Lieutenant  (Jrooly  says  :  — 

"N  ,  .nt  Hrainard  is  twenty-.sevon  to-day.  I  gave  him 
half  a  f.  A  of  rum  e.xtra  on  that  account,  regretting  my  ina!)il- 
ity  to  do  more  for  him.  He  has  -.vorked  exceedingly  hard  for 
us  this  winter  ;  and,  while  all  have  done  their  best,  his  endur- 
ance, unusual  ecjuanimity  of  temper,  and  impartial  justice 
in  connection  with  the  food  have  h(>en  of  invalual»le  ser\ice 
to  me." 

"Mouldy  hard  bread  and  two  cans  of  soup  make  a  diimer 
for  twelve,"  .says  IJrainard.  ".U  Fort  Conger  ten  cans  of 
soup  were  needed  to  begin  dinner.  But  even  the  dire  calam- 
ity which  now  confronts  us  is  insufficient  to  repress  the  great 
flow  of  good  nature  in  our  party  generally." 

"A  terrible  scene  occurred  in  our  wret(;hed  hut  during  the 
morning,"  writes  Brainard,  March  24,  18S4.  "  While  prepar- 
ing l)reakfast  (tea)  the  cooks  had  forgotten  to  remove  the 
bundle  of  rags  from  the  ventilators  in  the  roof,  and  the  fumes 
thrown  off  by  the  alcohol  lamps,  being  confined  to  the  small 
breathing  space,  soon  produced  asphyxia.  Biederbick,  one 
of  the  cooks,  was  the  first  to  succumli  to  its  clTocts,  and 


111 


i\l 


•.V.)-2 


Till-:  ilRKAT    WHITE  SOHTU 


Israel  imnu'diatcly  afterwards  Ix'camo  insensible.  At  the 
sujfgestion  of  (lanliner,  all  the  rest  uf  us  rushed  for  the  door, 
and  the  plu^s  were  at  ouee  removed  from  the  roof  and  the 
lamps  extin^fuished.  By  i)rompt  attention,  Dr.  Pavy  sue- 
eeeded  in  reviving  Israel  and  Biculerhiek.  Those  who  went 
outsiil(>  were  less  fortunat*,-  than  those  who  fainted  in  their 
l)a,u;s.  As  soon  as  they  came  in  contaet  with  the  jiure  outside 
air,  all  strength  dei)arled,  and  they  fell  down  on  the  snow  in  an 
unconscious  state.  In  consecjuence  of  the  absence  of  all 
animation,  many  of  us  W(>re  frost-bitten  —  Lieutenant  (Ireely 
and  mys(>lf  (juite  severely.  The  lives  of  several  of  the  men 
were  probably  saved  through  the  noble  (efforts  of  (lardiner, 
who,  though  weak  and  sick,  did  all  in  his  power  to  get  us  in  the 
hut.  .  .  .  During  the  excitement  of  the  hour  about  half  a 
pound  of  bacon  was  stolen  from  Lieutenant  Greely's  mess, 
and  as  soon  as  the  fact  became  known,  great  indignation  was 
(■xi)ressed  that  in  our  midst  lived  a  man  with  nature  so  vile 
and  corrupt  —  .so  utterly  devoid  of  all  feelings  of  humanity  — ■ 
as  to  steal  from  his  starving  comi)anions  when  they  were 
thought  to  be  dying.  A  decnl  so  contemptible  and  heartless 
could  not  long  remain  concealed  from  those  who  had  been 
injuretl.  We  were  not  disappointed  in  the  discovery  that 
Henry  was  the  th'ef.  lie  liad  literally  bolted  the  bacon,  and 
his  stomach  was  overloaded  to  such  a  degree  that,  in  its  en- 
feebled state,  it  could  not  retain  this  umisual  ([uantity  of 
food,  and  his  crime  was  thus  detected.  Jens  afterwards 
reported  having  seen  him  commit  the  theft,  and  illustrated 
l>y  signs  his  maimer  of  doing  it." 

"Pot)r  suffering  Elison!"  he  writes  a  few  days  later. 
"This  morning  he  turned  to  the  doctor  and  said,  'My  toes 
are  burning  dreadfully,  and  the  soles  of  my  feet  are  itching  in 
a  very  uncomfortable  manner;  can  you  not  do  something  to 
relieve  this  irritation?'  He  little  dreams  that  he  has  neither 
toes  nor  feet :  they  having  sloughed  off  in  January.' 


DKATII   FliOM  STAliVATIOX 


! 

1^ 


On  Marcli  21,  (Jreoly  niukes  this  entry  :  — 

"A  storm  prcvcnt.s  hunting.  ...  It  is  surprising  with 
what  calninoss  we  view  death,  which,  strongly  as  we  may  hope, 
seems  now  inevital)le." 

As  the  gtiunt  antl  ghostly  form  of  Death  laid  its  fatal 
touch  upon  the  weakest  one  by  one,  a  strong  man  stole  food 
from  comrades,  and  stole  again,  and  justly  forfeited  his  ri,i;ht 
to  live.  Tlieu  one  by  one  they  died,  the  Eskimo,  ("hristiauxn, 
from  exliaustion,  and  Lynn.  "  He  asked  for  water  just  before 
dying  ;  and  we  had  none  to  give." 

Then  Rice  sacrificed  his  life  for  others,  dying  in  the  arms 
of  his  comrade,  Frederick,  near  Baird  Inlet,  where  he  liad 
gone  in  search  of  a  hundred  pounds  of  Englisli  l)eef  abandoned 
in  November,  that  Elison  miglit  be  brought  to  camp  alive. 
Then  Lockwood  died  and  Jewell  failed  —  and  soon  joined  his 
sleeping  comrades,  and  yet  in  face  of  horror  crowding  ui)on 
horror,  there  is  an  entry  :  — 

"On  Easter  Sunday  we  heard  on  our  roof  a  snow-bird 
chirping  loudly —  the  first  harbinger  of  spring." 

In  the  meantime,  the  chief  dependence  of  this  ra]  'dly 
diminishing  party  was  derived  from  the  gathering  of  shrin.ps 
—  or  sea-lice;  the  small  Crustacea  were  from  one-eighth  to 
one-half  of  an  inch  in  length,  consisting  of  about  four-fifths 
shell  and  one-fifth  meat,  and  about  seven  hundred  of  them 
were  recjuired  to  weigh  an  ounce. 

"Dr.  Pavy  says,"  writes  Brainard  in  his  journal,  INIay  20, 
1884,  "that  our  food  must  be  something  more  substantial 
than  these  shrimps,  or  none  of  us  can  live  long.  I  caught 
twelve  pounds  of  these  animals  to-day,  anfl  one  pound  of 
marine  vegetation.  Returned  very  much  exhausted  from  this 
trip.     Cannot  last  much  longer." 

"Caterpillars  are  now  quite  numerotis  on  the  bare  spots  of 
Cemetery  Bridge,"  he  writes  a  day  or  two  later.  "Yesterday 
Bender  saw  one  of  these  animals  crawling  over  a  reck  near  the 


1 


■     : 


n 

I!  T 

i 


,-ji 


11 


m 
fj 


I  i 


i; 


t 


t 

i 


I 


394 


r/Zf:  GREAT   WHITE  NORTH 


tent,  ami  aft(>r  watching  it  intently  for  a  moment  he  hastily 
transferred  it  to  his  mouth,  remarkiiii.^  as  he  cUd  so,  'This  is 
too  much  meat  to  lose.'  " 

On  May  2*,)  there  was  a  southeast  j^ale  and  drifting  snow. 
Brainard  and  Long  returned  from  their  day's  hunting  u-ith 
a  few  pounds  of  shrimps  and  a  dovekie.  "On  returning  to 
the  tent,"  writes  Brainard,  "Dr.  Pavy  and  Lalor  refused  to 
admit  me  to  their  sle(>ping-l)ag,  in  whieh  I  oeeupied  a  plaee. 
Physically  I  could  not  enforce  my  rights  in  this  matter,  my 
condition  bordering  on  extreme  exhaustion,  and  wishing  to 
avoid  any  unpleasantness,  I  crawled  into  one  of  the  aban- 
doned hags  lying  outside,  as  the  only  alternative.  This  bag 
was  frozen  and  filled  with  snow,  ("an  my  sufferings  be  imag- 
ined'.''    They  certamlv  cannot  be  described. 

"Suffering  with  rheumatism,  and  smarting  under  the  sense 
of  wrong  done  me  by  my  sleei)ing-bag  comi)anions,  mental 
agony  was  added  to  i)hysical  torture. 

"To-<lay  I  caught  six  i)ounds  of  shrimps.  This  ev(>ning 
(June  G)  diimer  consisted  of  a  stew  composed  of  \\xo  boot- 
soles,  a  handful  of  reindeer  moss,  and  a  few  rock  Hchens. 
The  small  (luantity  of  shrimi^s  which  I  furnish  daily  are  suffi- 
cient only  for  the  morning  meal. 

"Wednesday,  June  11,  1884.  Long  returned  at  1  :  30  a.m. 
from  the  open  water,  bringing  with  him  two  fine  guille- 
mots which  he  had  killed.  One  of  these  was  given  to  the 
g<meral  mess,  and  the  other  will  be  divided  among  those  who 
are  doing  the  heavy  work  for  their  weaker  companions. 
This  evening  a  great  misfortune  befell  me.  The  spring  tides 
h:iv(>  brokiMi  out  the  ice  at  the  shrimping  jilace,  and  my  nets 
have  been  carried  away  and  lost  ;  my  l)aits,  f)v)or  and  miser- 
abl(>  as  they  were,  are  gone  also.  It  is  anything  but  ])leasant 
to  reflect  that  to-morrow  morning  we  will  have  no  breakfast 
except  a  vvx)  of  tea.  It  was  (|uite  late  wlu>n  I  returned  this 
evening  from  shrimjjing,  and  everybody  had  retired.     I  did 


DEATH  FROM  STAHVATION 


89.) 


not  huvo  tho  hciu-t  Uy  !i\vak(>ii  the  poor  fellows,  hut  I  let  them 
sloop  on  (luiotly  undor  tlio  delusion  that  hroakfust  woukl 
await  thoin  at  tho  usual  hour  in  iho  morning.  How  I  jjity 
thoni ! 

"I  made  a  flag,  or  distress  signal,  as  ii  niight  he  more 
properly  termed,  which  I  intend  placing  on  tiie  high,  rocky 
point  just  north  of  our  tent,  whore  it  may  ho  soon  hy  any 
vessel  passing  ( 'a])e  Sahine." 

^  Ten  (lays  later  the  wliistk"  of  the  Thelis  hlown  hy  ('ai)tain 
Schley's  orders  to  r(>call  his  searching  parti(>s  fell  "lightlv  on 
the  ears  of  the  dying  Commander  of  tho  Lady  FranklinBay 
expedition. 

"I  feol)ly  asked  Brainard  and  Long  if  thev  had  strength 
to  go  out,"  writes  (Ireely,  "and  they  answ(^red.  as  always, 
that  they  woukl  do  their  host." 

From  tho  cutter,  as  it  entered  the  cove,  Lieutenant  (  olwell, 
straining  his  eyes,  recognized  the  familiar  landmarks  of  the 
year  hefore. 

"There,  on  the  to]:»  of  a  little  ridge,  fifty  or  sixty  yards 
ahove  the  ic(>-foot,  was  plainly  outlined  th(>  figure  of  a  man. 
Instantly  the  coxswain  caught  up  the  hoat-hook  and  wav(>d 
the  flag.  The  man  on  the  ridge  had  seen  tlu^m.  for  he  stooped, 
picked  up  a  signal  flag  from  tho  rock,  and  waved  it  in  reply! 
Then  he  was  seen  coming  slowly  and  cautiously  dowii  the 
stoop,  rocky  slope.  Twice  ho  fell  down  hefore  he  reached  the 
foot.  As  he  approached,  still  walking  fe(>hly  and  with  diffi- 
culty, ColwoU  hailed  him  from  the  how  of  th.  hoat :  — 

'""VMioall  ar(>  there  loft?' 

'"Seven  left.'" 

"As  the  cutter  struck  tho  ice,"  continues  Schley,  'ColwoU 
jumped  off  and  went  up  to  him.  He  was  a  ghastly  sight. 
His  cho(>ks  wore  hollow,  his  eyes  wild,  his  hair  and  hoard 
long  and  matted.  His  army  l)louso.  covering  several  thick- 
nesses  of  shirts   and   jackets,    was   ragged   and   dirty.     Pie 


■n 


m 


If! 


Ml 

\  in 


■11 


'••(J 


THE  a  in:  AT  nil  in-:  yourii 


wore  :i  littlo  fur  cap  and  rousli  inoooasins  of  untannod  loatlior 
tied  around  the  Icjv.  As  he  si)ok(',  liis  utterance  was  tliick 
and  nninihlinff.  and  in  his  aj^itatiun  liis  jaws  worked  in  con- 
vulsive twitches.  As  the  two  met,  the  man,  with  a  sudden 
impulse,  took  off  iiis  f>;love  and  shook  ('olwell's  hand. 

"  'Where  are  they?'    asked  Colwell,  briefly. 

"'In  the  tent,'  said  the  man,  ])ointing  over  his  shoulder, 
'ovei-  the  hill        the  tent  is  down.' 

"  'Is  Mr.  (Ireely  alive'.'' 

"  '  Ves,  CJreely's  alive.' 

"  'Any  other  officers'.'' 

'"  Xo.'     Then  he  repeated  ab.scntly,   'The   tent   i.s  down.' 

"  'Who  are  you'.'' 

"'Lonf^.' 

"Hefore  this  colloquy  was  over,  Lowe  and  Norma,;  had 
started  up  the  hill.  Hastily  fillin-f  his  i)ock(>ts  with  bread, 
and  takinu;  the  two  cans  of  pemmican,  Colweil  told  the  co.x- 
swain  to  take  Lonjr  into  the  cutter,  and  started  after  the 
others  with  Ash.  Keachins  the  crest  of  the  ridiiv  and  looking 
southward,  they  saw  spread  out  before  them  a  desolate  ex- 
pans(>  of  rocky  ground,  sloping  gradually  from  a  ridge  on  the 
east  to  the  ice-covered  shore,  which  at  the  west  made  in  and 
formed  a  cove.  Rack  of  the  level  space  was  a  range  of  hills 
rising  \\\)  (Mght  hundred  hct,  with  a  precipitous  face,  broken 
in  two  by  a  gorge,  through  which  the  wind  was  blowing  furi- 
ously. On  a  little  elevation  directly  in  front  was  the  tent. 
Hurrying  on  across  tiie  intervening  hollow,  Colweil  came  u]) 
with  Lowe  and  Norman,  just  as  they  were  greeting  a  soldierly- 
looking  man,  who  had  come  out  from  the  tent. 

"  As  Colweil  approached,  Norman  was  saying  to  the  man,  — 

"  'There  is  the  Lieutenant.' 

"  And  he  added  to  Colweil,  — 

"  'This  is  Sergeant  Brainard.' 

"  Brainard  immediately  drew  himself  up  to  the  'Position  of 


SCHLEY'S   BRILLIA\T  liESi CE 


391 


11 

i-  t 


tlic  soldier,'  and  was  about  to  salute,  when  Colwell  took  his 
hand. 

"  At  this  moment  there  was  a  confused  murmur  within  the 
tent,  and  a  voiee  said,  — 
'"Who's  there?' 

"Xoniiun  answered,  'It's  Norman  —  Norman  who  was  in 
the  ProtniH.' 

"This  was  followed  hy  cries  of  'Oh,  it's  Norman  !'  and  a 
sound  like  a  feel)le  cheer. 

"  Meanwhile  one  of  the  relief  party,  wlio  in  his  agitation 
and  excitement  was  crying  like  a  child,  was  <l<)wn  On  his 
liands  and  knees  trying  to  roll  away  the  stones  that  held  down 
the  flapping  tent  cloth.  .  .  .  Tlu-re  was  no  entranc(>,  exc.-pt 
under  the  flap  op(>ning.  which  was  held  down  hy  stones, 
("olwell  called  for  a  knife,  cut  a  .slit  in  the  tent  cover,  and 
kxjked  in." 

"It  was  a  sight  of  horror,"  contiimes  Schley.     "On  one 
side,  close  to  th(>  oi)ening,  with  his  head  toward  the  outside, 
lay  what  was  ai)parently  a  dead  man.     Ilis  jaw  had  droi)p(>d! 
his  eyes  were  opcMi,  hut  fix(>d  and  glassy,  his  limbs  were  motion- 
loss.     On  the  oj)posite  side  was  a  poor  fellow,  alive,  to  be  sure, 
l)ut  without  hands  or  feet,  and  with  a  spoon  tied  to  the  stump 
of  his  right  arm.     Two  others,'  .seated  on  the  ground,  in  the 
middle,  had  just  got  down  a  rubber  bottle  that  hung  on  the 
tent  i)ole,  and  w(>re  i)ouring  from  it  in  a  tin  can.     Directly 
<)!)p()site,  on  his  hands  and  knees,  was  a  dark  man  with  a  long 
matt(Nl  b(>ard,  in  a  dirty  and  tattered  dressing-gown,  with  a 
little  red  skull  cap  on  his  head,  and  brilliant,  staring  eyes. 
As  Tolwell  appeared,  he  raised  himself  a  little,  and  put  on  a 
pair  of  eye-glasses. 

'"Who  are  you  ?  '  asked  Colwel). 

"  The  man  made  no  answer,  staring  at  him  vacantly. 
\\  ho  are  you  .'    ag;un. 

■■  One  oi  tiie  men  spoke  up,  — 


V 


n 


r  z 


9 


i\ 


I 


I 


:]0S 


Tilt:  liiiEAT  w'liiTi:  soirrii 


"'That's  tlH>  Major     -  Ma,ii»r  (Irccly.' 

"Colwcll  crawled  in  and  took  liiiu  l)y  tlu>  hand,  suyhis  to 
him,  — 

'■ '  ( Irccly,  is  this  you?' 

■■'  \'cs,'  said  (irccly.  in  a  faint,  hrokcn  voice,  hcsitatinu;  and 
sliufllinji  with    his  words;  'yes  —seven  of   us  left  — here  we 

ar( dyinji'     -  like  men.     Did  what  I  c'line  to  do  —  heat  the 

li'st  record.' 

•'The  scene,  as  Cohvell  looked  .around,  was  one  of  misery  and 
sfiualor.  The  rocky  floor  was  coverc(l  with  cast-ol'f  clothes, 
and  anions  them  wen*  huddled  tou;cther  the  sleej)inji-l)a<fs 
in  which  t!ie  party  had  spent  most  of  their  time  durinji;  the 
last  few  months.  There  was  no  hxtd  left  in  the  tent,  hut  two 
or  three  cans  of  a  thin,  repulsive-lookinp;  jelly,  made  hy  lioilinsj; 
strii)s  cut  from  tlie  sealskin  clothinii.  The  bottle  on  the  tent- 
pole  still  held  a  few  tea-poonfuls  of  lirandy,  hut  it  was  their 
last,  and  they  were  sh.arinu-  it  as  Colwcll  entered.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  most  of  them  had  not  loim;  to  live. 

''Colwcll  imm''diatcly  sent  Chief  Ijitiineer  Lowe  hack  to 
the  cutter  to  jnit  off  to  the  lh(tr  with  Lonji  to  report  an<l  to 
hrinji  the  surgeon  with  stimulants,  while  he  fed  the  dyiiiff 
men  with  hits  of  the  food  he  had  with  him.  As  their  hunger 
returne(l,  they  cried  pitcously  for  more  :  fearinji;  too  much  at 
one  time  woidd  injure  them,  Colwcll  wisely  dissuaded  them, 
but  'when  (irccly  found  that  he  was  refused,  he  took  a  can 
of  the  boiled  s(>alskin,  which  he  had  carefully  husbanded,  and 
which  he  said  he  had  a  rit>;ht  to  e;it,  as  it  was  his  own.' 

"Tlie  weaker  ones  were  like  children,  petulant,  ramblinj;, 
and  fitful  in  their  talk,  absent,  and  sometimes  a  little  inco- 
herent." 

The  Bdir  having  by  thi<  time  :i.rrive(l,  S<'r.t;;eant  Lonj:; 
was  lifted  from  the  cutter  aboard,  and  there  told  his  ]>itiful 
talc;  all  wvrr  dead  exce))t  (Ireely  .and  five  othei's,  and  they 
Wii'i-  oi:  ;-li(jfc  iii  '■Suit  di.-lns-        -ore  dislnss";  it  iuul  l)een 


S(  IILEY'S    IIUILLIAXT  liESCiK 


.'JUU 


"a  l.ard  winter,"  and  "thf  wonder  was  how  in  God's  niuue 
they  hud  pulled  through." 

■'Xo  wonls,"  says  Schley,  "can  deserihe  the  pathos  of 
this  mans  l.roken  and  enl'eel.led  utterance,  as  he  said  over 
and  over,  'a  hard  winter  a  hard  win(..r' ;  and  the  offi- 
cers who  were -at  h.  red  al.out  hhn  in  the  ward  room  felt  m 
emotion  whh'h  most  of  them  were  at  little  pains  to  con- 
ceal." 

^mm  after  the  ThdU  cam.-  in  si-ht,  and  her  officers, 
including  imive  .Melvill.-,  whos,.  last  sa.l  offices  for  !>■  f.„„». 
had  iK-en  hut  lately  fiiislu'd,  went  ashore  and  aided  thos.-  fn^a 
tlie  Bear  in  the  care  aiid  succour  of  the  forlorn  party. 

As   soon   as   possil.le    the   men    were   carefullv   moved   on 
stretchers  and  carried  in  |,„ats  to  the  ships,  hut  not  before  u 
mrrican(>  had  broken   upon  them,   which  made  the  labour 
hazardous  and  difficult. 

Meanwhile,  Lieutenant  Emory  of  tlie  Bear  was  making  a 
careful  collection  of  all  articles  belon-ins  to  the  camp  X.nr 
ti.e  sl(M>pin-.ba^s  w,.,v  found  little  packages  of  cherished 
valuables,  carefully  rolled  up.  and  addressed  to  friends  an<l 
relatives  at  home;  the  survivors,  too,  had  already  done  up 
and  addn>ssed  their  own,  and,  stran-e  as  it  mav  seem,  a  pock.'t- 
book  was  found  containinj.-  a  lar-e  roll  of  bills  carried  l.v  the 
owner  for  some  miaccountable  reason  to  the  barren  shoi-es  of 
Lady  1-  rankhn  liay.  It  was  not  difficult  to  mov  the  bo.li,>s  of 
the  d.>ad  ;  then^  was  only  a  thin  covering  of  sand  above  the 
mounds  that  formed  the  jiraves. 

Looking  out  from  the  side  of  the  hut  to  the  ice-foot, 
Colwell  s  attention  was  fixe.l  by  a  dark  object  on  the  snow. 
Following  a  ,)ath  which  led  to  it  from  v.  here  he  stood,  he  found 
the  nmtilated  remains  of  a  man's  body. 

^  "It  was  afterward  identified  fnnn  a  })ullet  hole,"  writes 
Schley,  "as  that  of  Private  Henry,  who  had  been  executed 
on  the  sixth  of  June." 


I    -■', 


:  i  i 


I^S 


j 


!  •: 

m 


I 


! 


■II 


40U 


77/ 7-;  (in EAT    WHITE  NOIiTlI 


Wrapping  it  in  a  blanket,  rohvrll  carried  it  to  the  landing- 
])l.u'c,  wlicre  a  seaman  took  tlie  bundle  on  his  shoulder. 
J'resently  the  l)oat  eaine  off,  and  all  who  had  remained  on 
shore  were  taken  on  l)oard  the  Bear.  The  ships  relumed  to 
J'ayer  Ilarhor. 

Tiie  next  day,  June  2'.i,  Lieutenant  Emory,  ac('oinj)anied 
by  Sebree  and  Mi'lville,  and  a  numb(>r  of  men  made  a  second 
search  at  Camp  Clay,  which  lasted  several  hours  ;  everything 
was  gatliered  up  and  brougiit  awaj'. 

The  olHcers  of  the  Tlidis  meanwhile  had  secured  from 
Stalknecht  Island  Clreely's  tin  boxes  containing  his  scientific 
records  and  standard  pendulum. 

The  relief  stpiadron  in  1S84  under  Captain  W.  S.  Schley 
and  Coimnander  W.  11.  Emory,  and  fitted  out  unch'r  the 
jxTsonal  orders  of  the  Hon.  W.  E.  Chandler,  Secretary  of  the 
Xavy.  h-'d  brilliantly  executed  its  commission  and  hai!  out- 
rivalled  ttie  early  Scotch  whalers,  to  whom  a  bounty  had  been 
ol'fered  by  Congress  for  the  speedy  rescue  of  (^ireely,  in  jnish- 
ing  I  )()ldly  through  the  "middle  ice."  "  Xo  relief  or  expedi- 
tionary vessels  ever  ventured  at  so  early  a  date  into  the 
dangers  of  Melville  Ray,"  writes  Greely. 

"That  the  I'nited  States  Xavy  won  in  the  race  for  '^abine 
is  an  illustration  of  the  wonderful  ada]itability  and  abundant 
resources  of  the  repr(>sentative  American  seaman,  which  so 
well  (its  him  for  coping  successfully  with  new  and  untried 
dan-iicrs  and  makes  him  a  worthy  rival  of  our  kin  across  the 
sea." 

In  triumpli  they  bore  the  remnant  of  the  Lady  Franklin 
Bay  exjM'dition  home  to  relatives  and  friends.  Only  six 
reached  America  allvC  (brave,  pitiful  Elison  had  died  at  God- 
haven,  July  S).  six  soldiers  out  of  a  company  of  twenty-five, 
broken  in  health,  yet  courageous  in  spirit,  and  loyal  to  a  nation 
that  through  "a  hard  winter  —  a  hard  winter  —  in  sore 
distress — "  had  left  tliem  to  their  fate! 


'  \1 


Hi:\i(  Aii.MiHAi,  Sciii.r.v,   I'.S.N. 


Ciiiirt,.-.!/  iif  Cllniilitist 


■ff 


m 


I 


Is, 
ii  d  I 

ft 


/ 


1  ■ 

' 

;t 

i 

r' 

til 

^^i 


CHAPTER  XX 

Xansen  -The  man. -First  Arctic  experience.  -  Plans  tli(.  cross- 
ms  of  (irc-nlanil.  —  Carries  out  liis  great  undcrtakiiiK.  -  Voyage 
on  tlie  /'V,,v//.  -  Drifting  with  the  current.  -  Life  aboard  — 
Xans,.n  an.lJ  )hannes.-n  .start  for  the  Polo.  —  Dimculties  of  travel 
lie  ■'  Farth.  st  .\.,rth."  -The  retreat.  -A  winter  on  f  h.>  I'ranz 
.ioset  Land.  —Attempt  to  reach  Spitzhergen  i)v  kavak  —The 
meet mg  at  Cape  Flora  with  Frederick  Jackson.'- Home  in  the 
n  inflwartl. 


«( 


TnK  character  of  the  oxploror  Xan.son  is  be.st  .stimrnarizod 
in  the  brief  paragraph  explaining  hi.s  plan  for  the  first  crossing 
of  Greenland. 

"My  notion,"  ho  .says,  "was  that  if  a  party  of  good  'ski- 
lohers'  were  ecpupped  in  a  practical  and  sensible  wav.  they 
must  get  acro.ss  (Jreenland  if  thoy  began  from  the  rig"ht  side, 
this  latter  point  being  of  oxtrei7i(>  itnportance.     For  if  they 
were  to  start,  as  all  other  expeditio.is  have  done,  from  the 
west  side,  they  were  practically  certain  never  to  get  across 
They  would  have  the  same  journey  back  again  in  order  to 
reach  home.     So  it  struck  me  that  the  only  sure  road  to  suc- 
cess was  to  force  a  pas.sage  through  the  Hoe-belt,  land  on  th(> 
desolate  and  ice-bound  oa.st  coast,  and  thence  cross  over  to  the 
inhabited  west  coast.     In  this  way  one  w.mld  burn  all  one's 
ships  b(>hmd  one.  ther(>  would  be  no  need  to  urge  one's  men 
on,  as  the  east  coast  would  attract  no  one  back,  while  in  front 
woulil  lie  the  west  coa.st  with  all  the  allurements  and  amenities 
of  civilization.     There  was  no  choice  of  route,  'forward '  bein-r 
the  only  word.     The  order  would  be  :  '  Death  or  the  west  coast 
of  Cireenland.'" 

- "  401 


It 

if! 


402 


TIIK  ultH.Vr    WIIITF.    SOUTH 


L 

i. 

I  t 

I 

^       >: 
m 

i 

"i 


\\ 


lictWci'il  llii'x'  lines  oiH'  sees  the  fil)rr  of  tlii-  iii;ill,  who  (!<'- 
lilxTatcly  stakes  out  his  eoiirse  aiiil  iii\ites  a  race  with 
Death  to  tlie  lioal  of  vi<'tory:  who  carefully  curtails  to  the 
liiiiiiliiilin  the  possihility  ,,f  failinv  ;  who  thoiiiihtfiill.\-  le- 
mov<'s  from  weaker  conipaiiioiis  all  temptation'^  tliat  mi^ht 
jcopartli/e  his  chances  of  success,  and  who  carries  throiiy:h 
ji  plan  scolfed  at  liy  the  world  as  the  impracticalile  scheme 
of  a  madman. 

There  is  ail  iiidescrihalile  charm  aliout  this  hold  Norwegian, 
"who  was  a  terrihie  (»ne  for  falliny;  into  lirowii  studies,"  as 
a  child  ;  of  whom  his  masters  wrote,  "He  is  unstal)le.  and  in 
several  subjects  his  pro;;ress  is  not  nearly  so  satisfactory  as 
miiiht  have  iieen  expected";  who  comiiines  a  ucntle,  child- 
like disposition  with  an  indomitahlc  will,  never  doul)tin<i 
for  an  instant  that  he  is  rij^ht  and  the  world  wroiif^,  and  who 
steadfastly  ji;oes  lo  work  to  prove  his  point.  Horn  in  ISIU 
near  ('hristiania  ;  eilucate(l  in  the  university  of  his  native 
city  :  fond  of  all  the  sciences  ;  trained  as  a  zoiilo^ist  ;  a  nat- 
ural athlete,  an  expert  "skiloher,"  a  .uood  hunter,  with  the 
spirit  for  a<lventure.  which  is  totally  careless  of  all  creature 
coiiiforts,  Tridtjof  Xansen.  at  tw-nt;- one,  stMod  on  the 
pnnv  of  the  Vik'nKj,  a  Xorwejrian  sealer.  l)ound  for  .Vrctic 
seas,  ready  to  meet  a  foe  worthy  of  his  nx'ttle. 

This  trip  to  Kast  Greenland  waters  for  the  purjjose  of 
fiath.-rintf  zotiloj-ieal  specimens  was  followed  hy  his  ajipoint- 
ment  tlie  same  year  as  curator  in  the  Natural  History  Museum 
at  Berjien. 

The  returri  of  XordenskjcWd  in  18S:},  from  his  second  re- 
markahle  journey  to  ( li'(>enland.  determined  Xansen  ui)on  a 
similar  journey,  the  sueeess  of  which  he  carefully  plamied. 
Xordenskjold  had  made  fifteen  marches  on  the  inland  ice 
from  Sophia  Harbor  south  to  Disco  Hay,  and  reached  an  alti- 
tude of  forty-nin(>  hinidre(l  feet,  senditif-;  skilled  La{)ps  on  skis 
a  farther  distance  of  one  hundred  and  forty  miles,  where  they 


rillST  AliCriC   F.XI'KlllKSrE 


403 


rojichcd  an  clcxafion  <>!'  sixly-six  lniii<lrc(|  feet,  (tii  tlic  nmrvcl- 
l(.u.s  ice-cap  which  still  rose  hcforc  them. 

Accompanied  hy  flircc  Norwiniuns,  ( )tf(>  Svcnhiip,  Licii- 
((■!i;irit  Ohti  ('Inisfiaii  Diitiichson,  of  the  Norwegian  army, 
and  Kiistian'rrana.aiiil  two  Lapps,  Mallu  and  IJavna.  Nansen 
sailed  on  the  Danish  steamer  Tlnjni  from  Scotland.  May  \), 
ISSS.  'I'hc  77////V/  was  to  carry  the  little  hand  of  ".\i)lorer.s 
the  first  staiie  of  their  journey  to  Icelaml.  At  the  Far(»e 
Islands.  Nan»en  learned  of  the  extremely  had  condition  of 
the  ice  round  Iceland.  The  east  c<»ast  of  the  island  was  re- 
ported inaccessihie.  By  May  17  the  77///m  stood  otT  the 
Vestmanna  Islands,  and  later  she  passed  Keydjanaes,  which 
carries  the  only  liy,htliouse  Iceland  po>sesses. 

Anchorint:  <»ff  Thiimeyre.  the  party  took  leave  of  the 
77///m.  and,  warmly  welcomcfl  hy  Ilcrr  (!ram,  the  tnerchant  of 
Thinneyre.  they  awaited  I  hi'  Jastni,  which  was  to  convey  them 
to  the  coast  of  (Ireenland.  On  the  tnorninn  of  June  .i,  the 
expectant  party  .sijrhted  a  little  steamer  slowly  working  in- 
wards. .\s  she  came  nearer,  she  was  found  to  he  the  Imfotd 
of  the  Xorwejrian  Whaling  ( 'omi)any.  She  anchored  and  sent 
a  boat  on  shore  amid  increasing;  excitement.  "I  had  hcKun 
to  su.-i>ect  the  truth."  siy  -  Nansen,  "when,  to  my  a.stonish- 
nient  as  well  as  joy,  I  rocoKuized  in  the  first  man  who  stepped 
ashore  Captain  .lacohsen  of  the  ,J<ts(>ii.  Our  meeting  was 
almost  frantic,  hut  the  story  was  soon  told.  He  had  reached 
Isafjord,  and.  not  finding  us  there,  had  thought  of  coming 
(tn  to  Dyrafjord  with  the  Jasan.  Hut  with  the  strong  wind 
blowing  it  would  have  taken  his  heavily  rigged  shij)  a  whole 
day  to  make  the  voyage,  and,  as  the  Norwegian  ( 'ompany'.s 
manager  most  kindly  otTered  to  send  the  I.'<nf<)ltl  to  fetch  us, 
he  had  taken  tlie  opportunity  of  coming  too. 

"Farewells  were  hastily  said:  willing  hands  tran.sforred 
the  baggage,  which  consisted,  in  addition  to  the  usual  Alpine 
ouifii,  of  Canadian  and  Norwegian  siiow-.sIhk    .  instruments, 


m 


■  I 


m 


ffi 


1 


<  f 


'It 

:«4 


: 


404 


r//^  ciiKAT  wniTE  yoirrn 


f()(ti|,  fuel,  and  siccpinji;  ji'car,  a  luad  of  twelve  liundred  pounds 
foi-  llicir  li\('  .-ledges;  and  a  restive  and  iinwillinji  pony  '>ouj;lit 
of  Heir  (iiain,  and  tlie  /.v/joA/ >teained  out  of  the  lionl  and  to 
(he  north  wait  Is." 

For  six  weeks  the  Jasoit  nuide -fruitless  attempts  to  land 
the  impatient  explorers  on  tliis  l)arren  eoast  of  (ireenland, 
when,. July  17,  ISSS,  Xansen  and  his  ])arty  attempted  hy  hoat 
to  make  ('ai)e  Dan,  from  whieh  they  were  se])arated  liy  an 
ice  .tream  ten  miles  wide. 

"When  Kavna  saw  the  shi])  for  the  last  time,"  writes  P):d!o, 
the  Lapp,  "lie  said  to  me  :  'What  fools  we  were  to  leave  her 
to  die  in  this  place.  There  is  no  hope  of  life;  the  <;reat  s(  a 
will  l)e  our  jiraves  I  '  " 

Sleepinji  ui)oii  the  floes  at  nijiht,  drafifiin.u;  or  rowinii;  their 
boats  hy  day,  the  journey  to  the  coast  was  ])erilous  and  dan- 
}iei(»i's  in  tlie  extreme.  After  s(>veral  days  they  found  them- 
selves i)eitiji'  carried  south  ui)on  the  lioe  and  "straij;:ht  away 
from  shore,  at  a  pace  that  rendered  all  resistance  eompl'tely 
futile." 

"July  20,"  says  Xansen,  "I  was  roused  hy  some  violent 
shocks  to  the  doe  on  which  \vv  were  encamiu'd,  and  thought 
the  motion  of  tlie  >ea  must  have  increa.<ed  very  considerahly. 
\\'hen  we  <i:et  outside  we  discover  that  the  tloe  has  split  in 
two  not  far  from  the  tent.  The  Lapps,  who  had  at  once 
made  for  the  highest  points  of  our  jiiece  of  ice,  now  shout 
that  they  can  see  the  oi)en  sea.   .   .   . 

"The  swell  is  jrrowiiifj;  heavier  and  heavier,  and  th(>  water 
hreaking  over  our  floe  with  ever-increasing  force.  The 
Mocks  of  ice  and  slush,  which  come  from  the  grinding  of  the 
floes  together  and  are  throwTi  up  round  the  etlges  of  our  piece, 
do  a  good  deal  to  break  the  violence  of  the  waves.  The 
worst  oi  it  i>  that  we  are  being  carried  sc^awards  with  ominous 
rai)idity." 

Taking  refuge  uixjii  a  stronger  and  larger  floe,  (he  jiarty 


1>LA.\S    THE  CUOSSISC    OF  GUKKyLAyi) 


41  >; 


I 


awiiilcd  the  issue  with  counific  and  rcsifrnation,  tlioufili  it 
must  l)«'  cDutcsscd  the  ])o()r  Lapps  were  not  in  tlic  l)cst  of 
spirits.  "They  had  f>ivt'ii  up  liopc  of  life,  and  were  luakiuu; 
ready  for  death."  A  nijiht  of  fearful  promise  sueeeeded  a 
day  cf  liiiuiincet  j)erii.  Sverdrup  took  the  watch  ami  paced 
ah)iu  the  s.\'i-\vasli  'd  (loe.  Several  times  he  had  stood  hy 
the  t   'It    loor  prepired  to  turn  his  comrades  out. 

"().u(  he  iictrally  undid  one  hood,"  says  Xansen,  ''took 
another  turn  to  the  hoats,  and  then  another  look  at  the  surf, 
leavinjj;  the  hood  unfastened  in  case  of  accidents.  A  huj^o 
craf;-  of  ice  was  .swaying-  in  the  sea  close  heside  us,  and  thn^at- 
ening  every  moment  to  fall  upon  our  Hoe.  The  surf  was 
washing  us  on  all  sides.  .  .  .  The  other  hoat,  in  which  Balto 
was  asleei),  was  washed  so  heavily  that  again  and  again  Sver- 
drup had  to  hold  it  in  its  i)lace." 

A  second  time  he  came  to  undo  the  tent  hood,  hut  just  as 
tilings  h)oked  their  worst,  the  floe  changed  her  ctjurse  and  as 
if  directed  hy  an  unseen  hand,  sailed  toward  land,  nnd  took 
refuge  in  a  good  harbour.  On  July  2!),  the  fates  were  kind,  and 
they  ma(l(>  a  lan.ling  at  Anoritok,  ()2''  ().")'  N.,  nearly  two  hun- 
dred miles  .«outh  of  ("ape  Dan.  Following  the  shore  to  the 
north,  they  fell  in  with  natives  near  i'apv  Bille. 

The  ice  journey  comnioncod  from  Xinivik  ('A°  45'  X., 
which  was  reached  August  10,  after  jmrsuing  their  journey  uj) 
steep,  irregular  .slopes,  covered  with  soft  snow  and  heset  with 
dangerous  cr(>vasses  ;  they  made  only  forty  miles  inland  after 
seventeen  days  of  most  arduous  travel,  and  reached  an  ele- 
vation of  six  thousand  feet. 

"It  was  now  late  in  the  year,"  writers  Xansen,  "and  the 
autunm  of  the  'inland  ice'  was  not  likely  to  prove  a  gentle 
season,  so  the  fact  that  it  was  considerai)ly  shorter  crossing 
to  the  head  of  one  of  the  fiords  in  the  neighhourhood  of 
Cuxlthaal)  to  Christianshaah  was  an  arguin(>nt  that  had  its 
weight.  ...     I  consulted  the  map  again  and  ag;iin.  made 


.  I 


■<■• 

f.  i 

"A 


1  1 

1 

H 

i 


II 


i 


:[ 


4()(; 


r/Zi:  GREAT    WHITE   SOUTH 


the  calculation.s  to  iiiys<'ll',  atnl  finally  (Ictcrinincd  upon  the 
(io(llliaal)  route.  .  .  .  The  puinl  when-  i  llioufilit  of  ncttiiifi 
clown  was  that  wiiich  we  actually  lilt,  and  which  lies  at  about 
latitude  04^  10'  X.  .  .  .  The  rest  of  the  party  hailed  niy 
clianse  of  plan  with  acclamation.  Th"y  .seeined  to  have 
already  had  more  than  enouy;h  of  "inland  ice,'  were  loufiinjj; 
for  kindlier  scenes,  and  «iav('  their  uiuiualified  approval  to 
tlie  new  route." 

Sails  hail  been  riyi^ed  to  thesleils,  and  with  the  terrific  winds 
which  swei)t  the  ice-cap,  advance  was  assisted  by  this  means, 
the  men  marching-  on  skis.  .So  fritihtful  were  the  storms  that 
ra}i(Ml  over  these  desolate  snow  fields  that  at  ni^lit  it  seemed 
as  if  the  tent  would  Ite  torn  to  shreds,  and  before  a  start  c()uld 
be  made  in  the  mornin<i,  the  sledges  ha<l  to  l>e  du.<;-  out  of  the 
drifts  an<l  unloaded  m>  that  their  runners  mi<i;ht  be  scraped 
clean  of  snow  and  ice,  "a  task  which  we  found  anythinti  bin 
grateful  in  the  bitino-  wind.  .  .  .  but  the  cruellest  work  of 
the  whole  day  was  }>;(>ttin}>;  the  tent  uj)  in  the  eveninfi;,  f(jr  we 
had  to  beiiin  by  lacin<^  the  floor  and  walls  together;  as  this 
had  to  be  done  with  die  unprotectcil  fingers  we  had  to  take 
good  care  not  to  get  them  seriously  frozen."  "One  evening 
when  I  was  at  work,"  says  Xansen,  "I  suddenly  discovered 
that  the  fingers  of  both  my  hands  were  white  up  to  the  palms. 
1  felt  them  and  found  tliey  were  as  hard  and  senseless  as  wood. 
liy  rubbing  and  beating  them,  however,  I  soon  .set  the  blood 
in  circulation  and  brought  their  colour  back." 

The  Lai)ps  sutfereil  from  snow-l)lindness,  and  all  were 
burned  by  the  sun's  rays.  This  was  largely  due  to  the  want  of 
density  in  the  ail-,  and  the  reflection  of  the  rays  from  the  level 
o.vjianse  of  snow. 

"About  ten  in  the  morning  of  August  31,"  writes  Dietrich- 
son,  "we  saw  land  for  the  last  time.  We  were  ui)on  the  crest 
of  one  of  the  great  waves,  or  gentle  imdulations  in  the  surface, 
and  had  our  final  glimi)se  of  a  little  point  of  rock  which  jiro- 


(AniiiEs  OCT  Ills  cyDEirrAKiyas 


4U1 


trudcd  from  the  snow.  It  lay,  of  courMN  far  in  tlic  interior, 
and  for  many  days  had  been  the  only  dark  point,  save-  our- 
si'lvcs  and  the  sk'df^cs,  on  which  our  eyes  could  rest." 

At  an  altitude  of  nearly  eight  thousand  fe(>t,  tliey  toiled 
on  for  days  over  the  interminahle  desert  of  snow  ;  thCre  was 
no  break  in  the  horizon,  no  object  to  rest  tlie  eye  n]H,n,  and 
a  course  wa.;  laid  out  by  the  dilisent  use  of  the  comi)ass  alone. 
From  the  second  week  in  September  the  party  had  been  anx- 
iously iookinj--  for  the  befjinninj-;  of  the  western  slo])e.  On 
Se))tember  1!»,  Balto"s  joyful  cry  of  "Land  ahead!"  <treeted 
the  advaticinj--  sl(>(lge  fleet.  Tlu'  ice  conditions  had  become 
more  formidable  in  character,  the  gradual  de.scei't  treacherous 
in  the  extreme. 

"  It  was  a  curious  sight  for  me  to  see  the  two  vessels  coming; 
rushing  along  behind  me."  says  Xansen,  "with  their  s(|uure 
Viking-like  sails  showing  dark  against  the  whit(>  snow- 
fields  and  th(>  big  round  (hsk  of  the  moon  behind.  Faster  and 
faster  I  go  tiying  on,  while  the  ice  gets  mi, re  and  more  diffi- 
cult. There  is  worse  still  ahead,  I  can  see,  and  in  another 
moment  I  am  into  it.  The  ground  is  here  seamed  with  cre- 
vasses, but  they  are  full  of  snow  and  not  dangerous.  J'A'cry 
now  and  then  I  f(>el  my  staff  go  through  into  space,  but  the 
cra-ks  ar(>  narrow  and  the  sledgis  glide  easily  over.  Presently 
I  cross  a  broa<ler  one,  and  see  just  in  front  of  me  a  huge  black 
abj'ss.  I  creep  cautiously  to  its  edge  on  the  sli])perv  ice, 
which  her(>  is  covered  by  scarcely  any  snow,  and  look  down 
into  the  deep,  dark  chasm.  Beyond  it  I  can  .see  crevasse  after 
crevasse,  running  parallel  with  one  another,  and  showing 
dark  blue  in  the  moonlight.  I  now  tell  the  others  to  stop, 
lis  this  is  no  ground  to  traverse  in  the  dark,  and  we  must  halt 
for  the  night." 

The  joy  of  ha\'ing  crossed  the  ice-cap  and  the  prospect  of 
successfully  pa.ssing  the  inland  ice  to  the  more  congenial  soil 
of  the  western  coast  causeil  the  little  i)and  to  meet  cheerfully 


i'>3 


vm 


'fol 


If-. 


m 


:4 


40.S 


THE  a  in:  AT  u  iht/-:  south 


n 


the  most  anluoiis  laluxir  in  a  ix'rilous  drscc?!'  r  cn^vasscs 
and  .^lacier,  iiioiiiitain,  and  valley  into  the  j  iscd  land,  of 
which  old  Havna  spoke  with  I'nthusiasni  ;  - 

'■  I  like  the  west  coast  well  :  it  is  a  f^ood  ])Iacc  for  an  old  Lajip 
to  live  in:  there  are  i)lenty  of  reindeer;  it  is  just  like  the 
mountains  of  Finiuarken." 

Ilavinj;  reached  the  coast,  it  became  essential  to  n\w\\ 
civilization  as  well,  and  to  expedite  the  journey  it  was  found 
de-iral>le  to  jio  liy  sea.  The  lack  of  a  hoat  was  a  small  con- 
sideration to  men  who  had  holdly  sailed  sledges  across  the 
(Ireeidand  ice-caj)  —  for  thou-;h  wood,  tools,  and  materials 
^\ere  lackinii',  there  was  the  tent  and  plenty  of  willow  Irishes 
arounil,  some  six  or  seven  feet  in  hei<;ht.  '-pviljs  made  of 
these  would  not  he  as  straitiht  as  we  could  wish,"  says  Xansen, 
"and  would  not  stretch  tlie  canvas  very  (M'lily,  hut  the  main 
thinj;-  was  to  i^et  her  to  carry  us.  .  .  .  V,y  the  evenini>;  the 
lioat  was  finished.  She  was  no  boat  for  a  prize  competition, 
indeed  in  shape  she  wa.s  more  like  a  tortoise-shell  than 
unylhini;-  else." 

In  this  crazy  little  craft  Xansen  and  Sverdruj)  rowed  away 
to  f-vt  relief  from  the  inhabitants  of  Codthaab.  Their  com- 
panions remained  in  Amoralikfjord,  in  charjie  of  the  sliHlfics 
and  eciuipment.  Great  was  tin  rejcicinji'  in  (lodthaab  when 
tlie  explorers  reached  there  and  immediate  i)reparations  were 
made  to  succour  the  remainder  of  the  party.  These  had 
i^lowly  moved  in  the  direction  of  (lodthaab  and  ^n-atefully 
welcomed  the  Ivskimos  who  met  them  with  sui)plies. 

I'nfortunately  the  jiarty  missed  the  last  Euro])ean  vessel 
that  left  port  that  season  and  were  obliged  to  spend  the  winter 
in  Creenland.  Letters  and  despatches,  however,  had  been 
carrie.l  by  the  Kskimos  down  the  coast  to  the  F<i.x\  M'Clin- 
tock's  old  vessel,  in  his  famous  search  for  Sir  John  Franklin, 
and  this  veteran  little  craft  carried  the  thrillin«'-  news  of  the 
"  First  crossing  of  Greenland  "  to  Europe.     The  winter  i)as.sed, 


(■Aiiiiii:s  OUT  Ills  ryi)i:nTAhi\<;s 


40!  > 


and  on  Aj)ril  1.")  "the  settlement  run<;  mtli  the  sinj-le  shriek 
—  'The  sliip,  the  ship.'  -  .loyt'uUy  the  hrave  lumd  of  explorers 
received  news  from  home,  and  ahnost  sorrowfully  prepared 
to  leave  their  hospitahie  friends  of  (iodthaah." 

On  May  21,  ISS'.),  Xanseii  and  his  eomjianions  made  their 
triumi)hant  entry  into  ( 'openhatien  —  and,  eoneiudes  Xansen, 
"May  M)  we  entered  ( 'hristiani."  Fjord,  and  w(>re  received 
l\y  hundreds  of  sailing  boats  and  a  whole  fleet  of  steamers. 
.  .  .  When  we  f;ot  neai  the  harbour,  and  saw  the  ramparts 
of  the  old  fortress  and  the  quays  on  all  sides  black  with  people, 
Dietrichson  said  to  Havna  :  'Are  not  all  these  people  a 
fine  sioht,  Kavna  ?'  'Yes,  it  is  fine,  very  fine  ;  —  but  if  they 
had  only  been  reind(>er  !'  was  Kavna's  answer." 

Previous  to  his  famous  journey  across  (ire(>nland,  in  one 
of  his  many  conference's  with  Dr.  H.  Rink,  that  veteran  ex- 
plorer of  (Ireenland,  Xansen  was  addressed  by  Mrs.  Rink, 
who  said  to  him  :  "You  must  go  to  the  North  Pole,  too,  some 
day,"  and  without  hesitation  he  answered  her  emphatically, 
as  though  his  mind  had  long  ago  been  made  up  on  that  i)oint, 
"I  mean  to." 

From  his  twenty-third  year,  Nansen  had  bent  his  mind  and 
energies  upon  that  great  journey  into  tlio  Polar  regions,  upon 
which  he  did  not  embark,  how(>ver,  until  nine  years  lat(>r. 

In  the  meantime,  he  was  appoint(>d  i-urator  in  the  Museum 
of  Comparative  Anatomy  at  the  ("hristiania  I'niversity. 

In  th(>  Danish  Ceographical  Journal  for  1885,  A^r.  Lytzen, 
Colonial  Manager  at  Julianshaab,  gave  an  interesting  account 
of  certain  relics  of  the  ill-fated  Jainnettc  expedition  picked 
\\\)  by  Eskimos  on  the  west  Greenland  coast.  Among  thes(> 
articles  was  a  list  of  provisions,  signed  by  Caj^tain  De  Long, 
a  manuscript  list  of  the  Jeannettc's  boats,  a  pair  of  oil-skin 
breeches  marked  "Louis  Xoros, "  the  name  of  a  member  of 
the  Jfanncttc'.s  crew,  tliepeak  of  a  cap  with  F.  C.  Lindemann, 
or  Xiiidemanii.  written  on  it. 


HI 


410 


THE  <n!KAT    WHITE  .Vo/;/// 


It  \v;is  plain  to  Dr.  XaiiMii  that  these  ariieles  had  (hifted 
no  less  than  twenty-nine  hundred  miles  and  in  a  jx-riod.  of 
eleven  hiin<lred  days,  nor  eoul.j  tie  ocape  the  eonvietion  that 
a  euiT"nt  pa.-ses  across  or  vi'iy  near  the  Pol<-  into  tlie  sea  be- 
tween Ci-eeiiland  and  Spit/l)eri;-en.  Tpon  this  hypothesis 
Dr.  Xaiisen  ur-icd  his  pla..  to  take  a  wel!-provi>i()ned  ship, 
"Iniilt  on  sueli  principles  a-  to  enable  it  to  withstand  the 
pressure  of  ice-  for  on  this  same  dril't-iee,  and  l>v  tlu; 
same  route,  it  must  he  no  less  possilie  to  transport  an  Cxpe- 
dition." 

In  spite  of  the  madness  of  his  schen-,  its  condemnation  hy 
many  of  the  most  eminent  Arctic  authorities  of  Kuroj)!'  and 
America,  the  Xorweiiian  -government  extended  its  p.atroiiauc 

and  the  •'Storthinj."\uTante(l  eleven  thousand  twohundredan.l 
filty  i)()unds  towanl  the  expenses  of  the  expedition,  the  re- 
mainder \)v\u]y  coIlect(Ml  hy  private  sui)scription. 

The  Fr<u)t,  eijiht  h;ni(h-ed  tons  displacement,  was  huilt 
with  especial  attention  to  the  construction  of  the  shapt'  of 
the  hull,  so  as  to  offer  the  jireatest  jiossihle  resistance  to  the 
attacks  of  the  ice.  She  carried  reciuisite  provisions  for  do<;s 
a/id  men  foi'  five  years,  and  coal  for  four  months'  steainiuj^ 
at  full  speed. 

The  ni'.vijiation  of  the  From  was  f>iven  to  Captain  Otto 
Svenlrup;  Lieutenant  Sij-urd  Scott-IIansen,  of  the  Xor- 
wej-ian  navy,  was  tendered  the  mana-ivment  of  the  niete- 
orolofiical,  a<tronomical,  and  matinetic  observations.  Dr. 
Ilenrik  Hlessini-;,  physician  and  l)otanisT,  diief  Knjiineer  Anton 
Amundsen,  Li.'utenaiit  in  the  Res,>rve,  Frederick  Johanneseu, 
whose  ea,!i-eriiess  to  accompany  the  expedition  led  him  to 
ac<-ept  the  position  of  stoker,  and  seven  others,  made  up  the 
persomiel  of  the  exp<'ditioii. 

The  I'ntin  left  Xorway  in  .June,  1S9.S,  skirted  the  north 
coasts  of  l':urope  and  Asia,  and  put  into  the  Polar  pack  ice  near 
the  New  Sil)eria  Island,  September  22.  iSD.'i. 


yoVAfih'   0.\    Tin:   "l-l!AM" 


411 


Frozen  last  in  tlic  ice  tliivc  (lay>  later,  the  Frant  >t()()(l  off 
iinrlliwot  of  Samiikof  Land  in  7S'  f)!)'  N..  i;;!"  K.  It  now 
Ix'hooved  the  company  t(.  ship  rudder,  rlean  the  boilers,  •aal 
prepare  tor  winter.  Xo  i<lle  moments  could  l)e  >pared,  ri^<;inj? 
must  he  cared  lor,  sail,>  inspected,  provisions  of  all  kinds  yjot 
out  from  the  cases  down  in  the  hold,  and  ha.ided  over  to  tlie 
cook,  and  the  smithy  culled  uj)oii  for  hi  ;  offices  in  repairing 
iH'ur  ti'aps,  hooks,  knives,  etc. 

A  l.usy  life  is  a  iiappy  one,  ami  the  Fntin's  company  lived  in 
harmonious  good-fellowship  and  drifted  leisurely  "with  the 
great  ice-pack,  just  as  Xansen  had  predicted  they  would,  with 
only  occasional  visits  from  hears  to  hreak  the  moncjtony  of 
comj)lete  isolation. 

In  Decemher,  Xansen.  who  liafl  read  Dr.  Kane's  fearful 
experiences  in  the  Arctic  night,  with  insufficient  food  for  dogs 
and  men.  suffering  from  the  ravages  of  scurvy,  compares  his 
own  condition  in  th<'  comf(»rtai)le  warm  (juarters  on  hoard  the 
Fram.  Xo  agving  or  depressing  effects  had  heen  felt  hy  any 
nu'inher  of  his  i)arty.  The  (luiet,  regular  life  seemed  to  agree 
with  them,  and  with  good  foo<l,  in  profusion  and  variety,  a 
warm  slieltor.  plenty  of  exercise  in  the  ojx'n  air.  and  cheerful 
diversions  in  the  shajx'  of  instructive  hooks  and  anuising 
games,  the  men  kept  up  a  cheerful  balance  of  good  health 
and  si)irits.  Xevertheless.  the  }\itience  of  all  on  hoard  was 
sorely  fritMl  before  the  c'Tse  was  over. 

The  drift  of  the  ship  during  the  thirty-five  months  of  h(>r 
he.setment,  was  uneven  and  irregular  ;  her  zigzag  coiu-se  as 
she  r(>ceded  or  approached  her  goal,  encouraged  or  dis- 
heartened \wr  enthusiastic  crew.  Sh(>  met  bravely  and  with- 
stood in  a  remarkable  manner  threatened  disast(>r  from  the 
ice  ])ressures.  Wild  enthusiasm  greeted  the  slightest  advanc(>, 
such  as  was  found  February  10.  1894.  when  the  observations 
showed  SO"  1'  north  latitude,  a  few  mimites  north  of  the 
ol>servations  taken  the   week  before.     And  a  correspomiing 


'  f!<l 


•:'M 

1 


i\-2 


iiiE  t.nKAT  wnriH  \()inii 


<l«'l)r(s>iuii  is  noticed  uhcn  contrMry  winds  ivturd  or  actiiallv 
lorcc  the  /■'/■(////  to  n'tnicc  Iht  lianl-carncd  profiicss. 

It  is  not  siirpiisinii  that  Xanscn's  adscnlurous  ..piiil  nirw 
restive  under  tla-  enlonvd  inactivity  of  tlie  /•'/v////',s  nnvvV  lin 
(Iriit.  Karly  in  the  year  ISOl  one  finds  his  niin.l  workniy 
upon  deep-laid  plans  to  force  the  issue  with  the  enemy,  and 
eventually  he  ainiounced  his  intentions  of  attenii)tin.u  one 
«»l'  the  most  darin^i  and  hazardous  sledge  journeys  in  the  amials 
of  Arctic  advent lu-e.  His  i)lan  was  to  leave  the  shii)  with  one 
c<)mpani(»n.  advance  over  the  frozen  polar  ocean,  as  far  as 
I)ossil>le,  and  without  makinji  an  effort  to  rejoin  the  ship, 
retreat  hy  way  of  Franz  Josef  Land  and  Spitzher-ieii,  hack  to 
Norway.  Fehruary  L'C,  IS',!.",,  he  ofHcially  informed  the  crew 
that  after  his  departure,  Cajjtain  Sverdrup  was  to  he  chief 
officer  of  the  expedition,  witli  Lieutenant  Scutt-Hansen  sec- 
on<l  in  conunand. 

Oil  the  ilth  of  March.  IS!)."),  the  Fnu,,  stood  in  SI"  Of  X.. 
102°  K.,  and  amid  a  partiti}-- salute  with  fhi",  jx^nnaut,  and^uns, 
Xanscn's  third  and  final  sledjie  dash  to  tlie  north  was  taken. 
Johaiinesen,  who  had  been  chosen  as  his  companion  for  this 
arduous  un<iertakin,ii.  was  in  all  respects  ciualified  for  the 
work-  an  accomplished  snow-shoer  ecjualled  hy  few  ''in 
his  powers  of  endurance,  —  a  fine  fellow  i)hysically  and 
mentally." 

Off  they  went,  accompanicMl  for  a  short  distance  hy  several 
of  the  crew.  Tlin-e  sledjres  drawn  hy  twenty-ei<;ht  (ioj>s  were 
loaded  with  two  kayaks,  and  i)rovisioiis  for  one  hundn^d  days 
for  the  men  and  fifty  (hiys'  do^-food.  Xansen  and  Johanne.sen, 
fully  -onfideiit  that  fifty  days  would  see  them  at  the  Pole! 
plunged  into  the  unknown  and  met  bravely  the  jMtiless  foe. 
Hummocks  and  rid«>-es.  lanes  and  slush,  cold  and  exhaustion, 
these  w<'re  the  impediments  to  projiress. 

It  was  Xanscn's  rule  to  marcli  nin(>  or  ten  hours,  broken 
by  a  midday  halt  for  a  littl(>  rest  and  ;i  bit  to  eat.     These  stoics 


.\Ay>K.\  AM>  JoilAy.XESKy  STAUT  /•o/;   roLK     413 


were  ;i  hitter  trial  to  the  men  exposed  to  the  merciless  winds 
witiiout  lire  or  slieitrr,  to  i»e  followed  hy  the  uiieoml'oi table 
task  of  disetitannliiiK  the  do<:s'  traees,  before  tliey  were  ahlc 
to  take  U|)  the  march  again.  On  March  2!),  they  were  "urind- 
iiifion,  l)Ut  very  slowly  ";  the  dogs  were  showing  signs  of  weak- 
ening   -  there  was  endless  disentangling  of  the  hauling  ropes. 

On  April  .'5  they  were  making  their  desperate  way  over 
ridges  and  lanes  which  had  frozen  togi'ther  with  ruhhle  on 
either  side.  It  was  imi)ossil)le  to  use  snow-shoes,  there  Iteing 
too  little  snow  between  the  hummocks.  Thick  weather,  with 
deceptive  mists  making  all  things  wli-ite,  added  to  their  mis- 
eries ;  irregularities  and  holes  and  the  spaces  between,  so  th.at 
the  men  and  dogs  stumbled  blindly  on,  crashing  into  jjitfalls 
and  cracks  and  nmning  the  grave  risk  of  broken  bones. 

On  .\pril  0  the  ice  grew  worse  and  worse;  after  an  advance 
of  only  four  miles  Xansen  and  .lohannesen  were  in  des|)air. 

The  following  day,  the  limit  of  patienc(>  was  reached  — 
a  woHd's  record  made  —  Xansen  found  himself  in  Sf^  ];}.()'  X., 
about  9.')°  east  kmgitude  ;  a,  distance  of  one  hundred  and 
tw(>nty-one  g(H)graphical  miles  from  the  Fnim,  with  two 
hundred  and  thirty-five  miles  between  himself  and  th(>'P()le. 
Twenty-threedays  had  passed;  Xansen  and  .lohannesen  turned 
their  backs  upon  a  veritable  chaos  of  ice-blocks,  stretching 
as  far  as  th(>  horizon,  and  i)repared  for  their  retreat  to  Cape 
Fligi  iv. 

On  this  remarkable  journey  southward,  confidently  expected 
by  Xansen  to  extend  over  not  more  than  three  months,  but 
which  in  reality  lengthened  to  on(>  hundred  and  fifty-three 
days,  the  courage  and  ability  of  these  men  was  tested  to  the 
utmost.  Frightful  gales,  which  disrupted  the  |)ack,  and  thick 
fogs,  which  made  advance  almost  impossible,  added  to  their 
discomfi^rts  and  privations.  The  dogs  reduced  in  strength 
from  exhaustion  and  lack  of  food,  died  one  by  one  oi-  were 
killed  ami  feil  to  the  survivors.     The  work  of  hauling  became 


f| 


M 


414 


Till-:  (iUKAT    WIIITt:  SOUTH 


!i   I   I 


licavirr  ;iii(l  lif;ivicr,  ;i>  their  iiuiuIhis  (liiiiiiiislicd.  The 
imii  li;iil  the  iiii>tur(iiii('  t.)  .•illdw  their  watchi  >  to  run  down, 
theivliy  niakiny;  their  loiiuiimle  oliservalimis  uncertain,  the 
result  of  which  was  thai  they  travelled  far  out  of  their  course 
in  search  of  the  land,  which  i)er>istently  remained  hidden. 

I'.arly  in  June  it  hecanie  necessary  to  curtail  the  rations, 
and  althounh  they  steadfastly  kept  to  weights,  in  order  that 
their  reniiiinin-  provisions  would  last,  they  were  reduced, 
June  IS.  to  a  frugal  -upper  of  two  ounces  aleuronic  hread  and 
(tne  ounci'  butter  per  man  -  and  crej)!  into  t heir  sleepinj^- 
l>au;s  hungry  and  exhausted. 

'I'he  captinv  of  a  seiil  relieved  a  situation  that  thre.atened 
to  hecoine  vi'ry  serious.  .At  ja-t.  on  July  IM,  the  tuvd  eyes  of 
the  travellers  reste(l  upon  something:  risinji  above  the  n<'ver- 
endini-:  white  line  of  Mic  horizon,  and  the  .joyful  cry  was  raised 
of  "Land!  Land!"  Progress  to  tfie  [i;ipi)y  huntinn-.<>round 
was  exasperatin^ly  slow  and  not  without  its  st.artlinn  .ad- 
ventures, .lohanneseii  was  attackcfl  hy  a  hear,  and  without 
the  prompt  action  on  the  part  of  Xansen  woul.l  doubtless 
have  pi'oved  its  victim. 

OjH'n  water  was  reacho<l  .August  O.  LSO."),  and,  by  dint  of 
paildlin.n  and  liaulinii;  up  on  the  floes  to  advance  by  sledge, 
on  .Vu-iust  K;  they  stood  on  the  dry  lai  I  of  Ilouen  Island. 
Conlinuimj;  on  their  journey  they  soon  reali/e(l  that  the 
rapid  ap|)roacli  of  winter  would  make  the  effort  to  reach 
Spitzbery;en  imi)()ssible,  so  they  encamped  on  one  of  the  out- 
lyinsi  islands  off  Franz  Josef  Land  and.  buildino;  them.selve.s 
a  stone  hut  covered  with  walrus  hides,  prepared  to  spend  the 
winter.  Tiears  and  walrus  were  plentiful  and  supi)lied  them 
with  abundant  food  ;  other  fiame  was  occasionally  shot. 
The  cold  Arctic  ni.nht  fomid  them,  on  the  whole,  quite  com- 
fortable in  tlieir  hut.  Tho  train-oil  lamps  kept  the  tempera- 
ture in  the  midrlle  of  the  room  about  freezing.  For  nine 
nif.ntlf-  Xan«cn  i\yn\  J()hann(>(r.  hibrniat cd    thus,  witli    no 


Ulhh'Kri.TIKS   OF    IHAVFJ. 


4  If, 


variation  to  tlicir  existence  hut   (hi.  takinii  of  tlie  tno>t  neces- 
sary nieteoroloiiical  oh^ervatioiis. 

>\  itii  llie  relin-ii  (if  ^priny;  tlie  two  "  wiM  men  "  niadr  every 
preparation   lor  I  heir  journey  to  Spitzheryeii.     Thi.^  was     u 
easy  matter,  eoii-^ideriny;  they  hu  ke»l  everything,  ami  the  tew 
reserve   stores   ol'    Hour   and    chocolate    had    mildewed    and 
spoiled  (hninij;  the  winter.     On    May    P»,    jS'.tC),   the    sledges 
stood  |(»aded  ;uid  la-he(|  and  aftrr  leavmy;  inside  the  hut   a 
short   report    ol'  their  ,i(.urney  and  adventures,    Xansen  and 
.lohaimesen  >tarted  hw  Spitzl.erfien.     Though  the  winter  had 
heen    lonu;    and    monotonous,    adventure    directed    them    fre- 
(inently  in    their  ailvance.     Naiisen    nearly    lost    his   lit..   l,y 
fallinj;  into  a  water-hole.     They  w.-re  delayed  hy  a  uale.  during; 
which  they  nearly  lost  their  kayaks.     Seeino;  these  trail  crafts, 
with  all  they  possessed  on  hoard,  drift inu;  rapidly  away  from 
their  moorin.us,  Xansen  spranji  into  the  icy  water  and  made  a 
desperate  attempt   at  rescue.     Meanwhile,  .lohamie.sen  paced 
restlessly  up  and  <lown  the  ice  in  an  ai^ony  of  -uspense.     With 
strokes  j^rowiim  more  and  more  I'eehle,  the  .swimmer  realized 
the  desperate  situation  and,  puttinji  forth  his  last  iienumhed 
enerj^iesin  a  final  stroke,  <>Tasped  a  snow-shoe  which  lay  acro.ss 
the  end.     All  hut  frozen,  Xansen  had  ureat  difficulty  in  fret- 
ting into  the  kayak  and  still  more  trouble  in  paddlinji,  to  land. 
Numl)  and  shiverin<i-,  the  wind  hitiiifj;  his  very  Uiarrow,  he 
yet  had  courafre  to  fire  at  two  auks  which  he  secm-ed  for  a 
warm  and  welcome  sup{)er. 

In  the  meantime,  their  meat  was  nearly  Rone.  The  outlook 
was  anythiiifT  hut  promisin<r.  In  these  frail,  weather-worn, 
canvas-covered  kayaks,  twelve  feet  lonjr,  about  two  and  one 
half  feet  wide  and  hardly  more  than  one  and  one  fourth  feet 
deep,  there  was  yet  a  journey  of  two  hundred  miles  of  ocean, 
more  or  l(>.ss  encumbered  by  ice,  which  intervened  between 
them  and  Spitzberj>;en,  wh(>re  their  only  hope  lay  in  being 
taken  aboard  otu-  uf  the  small  vc's.sel.s,  which  \  i>ii  Llu'.se  shores 


\ 

I* 


i 


nt; 


Tin:  (ill HAT  niim:  .xoirii! 


*    u 


every  suiiiincr.  Tlie  future  for  \:iiiM-n  and  .lolianiiescn  was  in- 
deed desperate,  hut  a  happy  cliaMte  lirou^lit  tlieni  timely  de- 
liverance, and  t lie  dramatic  meeting  with  Frederick  ( 1.. Jackson, 
Juni'  17,  IS'.Mi,  in  the  isolate<[  rejiions  of  Knin/  .losef  !,and 
terminateil  one  of  the  most  Wrilliaiit  retreats  in  Arctic  historv. 

Mr.  Jackson  and  his  companions,  who  lor  two  year>  had 
l)een  making,  most  valuai)le  scientific  observations  and 
collectinji  si)ccimeiis  in  all  departments  of  natural  science 
which  the  islands  ami  surroundings  seas  afforded,  welcomed 
the  wanderers  with  open  arms,  hrouf-ht  them  to  the  house, 
fe<l,  and  warmed  them,  and,  hest  of  all,  Have  them  news  from 
home  and  letters.  It  was  not  surjjrisinji  that  the  tiist  nijuht 
was  spent  in  reading  home  letters,  which  Jackson  had  faith- 
fully carried  for  them  into  these  desolate  rejiions,  and  in  talk- 
inji  (»ver  the  stranjic  adventures  now  so  hai)pily  ended.  For 
at  last  their  work  was  done,  and,  as  \ansen  said,  "he  didn't 
want  to  sleep,  he  felt  so  lia|)py." 

So  the  days  passed  rapidly  until  the  Wltuhnird  came, 
which  l.rouuht  yearly  supplies  to  Jackson  and  carried  home 
the  ailventurous  exi)lorers.  They  reached  Vardo  Haven, 
Auiiust  !;;.  .\ll  that  was  needed  to  complete  the  happiness 
of  tin'  hoine-comin}>;  was  news  of  the  Fnim,  ami  this  was  not 
loiiK  withheld.  On  August  20,  ISiXl,  the  joyful  tidings  of  the 
arrival  of  the  Fnim  reached  Xansen  in  a  brief  telegram  sent 
from  Skyaervo,   Kraenaiifjem  Fiord. 

She  had  pursued  her  monotonous  drift  to  her  liiiihest  point 
to  the  west -northwest,  S.')"  f)?'  X.,  ()()°  ]•].,  chaniiinj--  to  a  south- 
southeast  direction,  to  Sr  ()<)'  X..  15°  K.,  where  she  remained 
nearly  stationary  from  February  until  June,  iSiHi.  The 
open  sinnmer  permitted  Captain  Sverdrup  to  push  throujih 
her  ice  harrier,  and,  hy  the  judicious  use  of  e\i)l()siv(  s,  l)last 
her  way  to  the  open  water,  Aujj;u,st  13,  18i)(),  north  of  Spit/- 
bergen. 


CIIAPTKU    XXI 

Joiiriicvs  of  Dr.  A.  Hminc  mikI  Hjinni  K.  xoii  Toll.  li.xplonitioii  in 
Spit/i)i'ififii.  Sir  Martin  Conuay.  Dr.  A.  (i.  Nathor-t. 
Proi'o.sor  J.  II.  (iorc.  An(lr('(''>  Walloon  (  \|p((litioii  to  the  .NOn  || 
Pole.  Scarcli  for  Andrt'c  by  TiictKlor  j.iiticr.  J.  Stadliii^j, 
Dr.  A.  (;.  Xatlioi>t.  CuMtain  Hade.  Walter  Wdiinan's  plan 
to  reach  III.'  I'ole  from  Spit /,li(ry:en.  Italian  expecjition  iiiider 
Duke  of  Alini/./,i.  l,o--of  tlie  >7(///»  /'<//'//(.— Captain  riniierto 
Caiiiii's  joiiriuy.  Hnaks  tlie  !( cord.  -Hetreal.  Iloiiic. 
Paldwiii-Ziejiler  expedition  of  I '.»(»(».— Complete  e(|uipmeiit.  — 
Hetiirn  of  expedition  in  aiiti'inn.  Zieiiler  e\i)e(iiiion  under 
Antiiony  I'iala.  lliv  Ann  n'cit  reaches  hiy;h  northin;:.  Wiiitens 
in  Triplitz  Hav.  Is  di'stroyed.  lailiire  of  sledge  journeys.  — 
Hclief  ship  doe^  not  come. — Second  winter.  Helurn  of  jjarty 
by  Tend  Xont  in  I'.KKi. 

TiiK  voyufic  of  tlic  JcdinHtlc,  ainouy;  other  vahiahle  scien- 
tific results,  hail  jjroved  WraiiKell  Laud  to  he  au  island  of 
moderate  size.  The  drift  of  the  Fnini  had  demoiistrate(l 
file  theory  of  a  ixilar  ocean  of  vast  diiueiisioiis  and  jifeat  depth. 
The  interest,  therefore,  in  .\rctic  exploration  for  the  lu'xt  few- 
years  was  centred  in  innneroiis  scientific  |)arties  which  thor- 
oujihly  exaniined.  surveyed,  and  explored  tlie  unknown  .sec- 
tions of  lands  horderinu  on  the  Polar  Basin. 

As  early  as  ISS.").  an  expedition  was  fitted  out  tinder  the 
ausi)ices  of  lh(>  Imperial  Russian  ( ieojiraphical  Society,  and 
placed  in  char.uc  of  Dr.  .\.  Bu'ii'c  and  Baron  K.  \dn  Toll  for 
scientific  and  ,ii,eoi>raphical  work  in  the  Siberian  Island.  Toll 
visited  Xova  Sibir  and  traversed  the  entire  coast  of  Kotelnoi; 
in  tin'  iiieantinie.  Dr.  P>ull^e  explored  C.reat  Liachof,  where 
he  secured  a  valuable  coiiectiou  of  fossils. 
-' K  417 


l«J 


,  'J 

m 

■I   t 

i 


41  s 


'nil-:  CHEAT  w  uitk  xortii 


I 


T(.ll  returned  a.iiain  to  the  Arctic  in  IS!);^  visitinj?  the  north- 
east of  .l;ina,  for  the  imr])o.se  of  securing--  a  well-jjreserved 
inaininoth.  Afterward,  in  conii)any  with  Lieutenant  Seiiil- 
i'iko.  he  a^ain  visited  the  New  Sii)erian  Island.,  and  with  d(j^-- 
.sledK«'s  travelled  on  the  west  coast  of  Kofelnoi,  as  far  as  7.^  ;]?' 
north  latitude,  estahlishinjr  two  depots  of  jjrovisions  for 
Xansen's  possible  use.  Aintmf?  other  important  results  of 
this  expeditiiMi  was  the  discovery  of  evidence  that  in  the 
niaiiunoth  jjcriods  trees  }iTew  no  less  than  3°  north  of  their 
IM-esent  limit.  Toll  returned  to  th(>  mainland  and  followed 
the  Lena,  reix.rtin-;-  impassable  tundras  from  Sviatoi  Xos  to 
Dudinka,  -  and  reached  Yeniseisk  th<>  1th  of  December. 
Later  ■■■eoloui;-al  res(>arches  were  made  on  (Ireat  Liachof  Island. 

Haron  Toll  (h'termined  upon  another  voyaj^e  to  the  Arctic 
for  the  i)urpose  of  sui)i)lem(>ntin<'-  the  fi,eolofiical  knowledfjo  of 
Bennett  and  other  islands  and  to  complete  a  journey  of  explor- 
ation to  SauTiikof  Land,  first  seen  by  him  in  bS8(). 

The  Sdi-ijii  was  fitted  out  for  this  exi)e(liti()n,  and  the  winter 
of  1!)()()  1!)01  was  i)assed  in  7G°  08'  north  latitude,  9o°  east 
louffituile. 

"On  April  IS,  1<)()L"  writes  Raron  Toll,  "immediately  after 
th(>  Feast  of  Easter,  Lieutenant  Kolomiezoff  and  the  zoolo- 
fiist,  A.  Birulja,  set  out  with  two  sleijihs  each  with  a  team  of 
eiuht  dojis,  the  object  of  the  first  beinj;  to  reach  the  Yenisei 
and  establish  coaling  stations,  while  the  second  was  directed 
to  accompany  it  as  far  as  Cajw  Sterle^of,  some  20()  wersts  dis- 
tant. Two  days  latiT  besan  my  excursion  with  Lieutenant 
Koltschak  to  the  ("lu>lyuskin  Peninsula,  accompanied  by  a 
sleifih  with  a  team  of  twelve  tlogs  and  laden  a.s  lightly  as 
possible. 

"  ( )n  .May  L  we  r(>ached  that  point  on  the  bay  where  we  had 
established  a  depot  the  previous  year  (l'K)O).  The  provi- 
sions and  fish  here  buried  W(>re  to  comjilete  our  .supplies, 
which  barely  sufficeil  for  just  one  mouth.     But  we  were  unable 


ini.  JiiWGK  AM)  iiAiioN  VOX  TOLL  JoriiM:ys    41U 


to  dig  out  tlio  (loposit  from  tlio  (loop  snow.  On  May  7,  wo 
startod  from  this  jjlaoo  in  un  cast-northoustorly  (liroction,witli 
tlio  intontion  of  piisliing  on  to  St.  Tliaddous  Bay  on  the  oast 
ooast  of  tho  ( "holyuskin  Poiiinsula,  and  returning  thonco  along 
tho  coast.  After  travorsiiig  tho  tundra  for  forty  worsts  in 
this  dirootion,  wo  again  oamo  unoxjioctodly  on  an  ink't,  wliich 
grow  narrower  towards  tho  west-southwest,  whore  it  assumi'd 
tlio  form  of  a  narrow  sound  or  river  mouth. 

"Tlio  position  as  detorininod  by  Lieutenant  Koltsehak  on  the 
off  side  of  the  hay  was  70°  17'  X.  and  Wf  29'  E." 

On  May  12,  tho  tired  dogs  wore  given  a  day's  rest;  tluui 
Toll  made  a  day's  march,  half  a  degree  eastward,  on  Canadian 
snow-shoos.  There  wore  no  prospects  for  adding  to  their 
limitcMl  food  supply  by  hunting,  so  it  became  necessary  to 
retrace  their  steps. 

"Hitherto,"  writes  Toll,  "we  had  to  contend  with  almost 
constant  difficulti(>s  caused  by  fog,  and  deep  snow  already 
softened  by  the  sun.  But  henceforth  we  had  to  struggle  with 
contrary  snow-storms,  which  lasted  almost  without  a  break 
for  fourteen  days.  The  cons(>quenc(>  was  the  loss  of  five  dogs, 
which  broke  down  one  after  another  through  exhaustion. 
On  ]\Iay  30,  we  reached  the  Sarya,  the  excursion  having  lasted 
forty-one  days.  Of  these  we  had  to  pass  nine  in  the  sloejiing- 
sack  during  tho  fiercest  snow-storms  ;  four  wore  uselessly 
wasted  at  the  depot ;  and  during  the  remaining  twenty-eight 
days  we  covered  500  worsts." 

Other  excursions  were  made  by  members  of  the  party, 
with  most  gratifying  results. 

Tho  release  of  tho  Sarya  was  confidently  hoped  for  early  in 
August.  "But  in  the  interim,"  writes  Baron  Toll,  "there 
was  still  to  be  solved  a  geographical  question,  namely,  to  dis- 
oovof  the  mouth  of  tho  Taimyr  River.  According  to  the  maps 
hitherto  published,  the  Taimyr  was  suiijiosod  to  discharge  in 
the  first  or  second  of  the  larger  bights  lying  to  thi'  east  of  tlu^ 


i'.'i 


4J0 


Tin:  <;i:eat  uhiti-:  noiith 


Tiiimyr  Sound.     Roth  of  those  uviv  twico  cxploml  hy  Liou- 

t(mantKolonu'iz<)rf,aii(linth('fiistwas,infa(-t,iouiulth('niouth 
of  ;i  consuk-rahh'  stivaiii  ;  hut  its  coufij-uratiou  was  not  at  all  in 
acconlancc  with  the  contour  lines  f-ivcn  hy  tlic  toj^jri-apluT 
ANafv.Mioir  on  Middcndortfs  chart.  In  the  second  no  indica- 
tion could  he  detected  of  any  river  mouth.  As  these  n- 
s(>arch(>s  had  heen  undertaken  in  winter  amid  fojrs  and  snow- 
drilts,  there  still  remained  a  douht,  which  could  only  ho 
removed  hy  fresh  investif^utions  carried  out  in  clear  siunmer 
weather.  Should  thes(>  dso  lead  to  n(-ativ(>  results,  the  only 
remaininsT  assumption  would  he  that  the  Taimyr  discharged 
nito  that  hi-ht  which  durinjr  o,u-  journey  to  t'he  interior  of 
the  Chelyuskin  Peninsula,  Lieutenant  Koltschak  and  I  had 
crossed,  since  no  consi(leral)le  .stream  assuredly  entered  that 
other  mlet  where  the  depot  lay." 

Tlu'  survey  of  the  first  two  hays  was  undertaken  hy  Birulja 
and  Dr.  \\  alter,  their  excursion  lasting  from  July  20  to  Au<?ust 
1."),  1901.  "Respectinji  th-  (luestion  of  the  Taimvr,  thehvo 
savants  came  to  ne-ative  results.  Still  they"^  confirni(«d 
Kolomeizoff's  discovery  of  a  large  estuary  in  the  first  of  the 
two  hays." 

On  the  25th  of  AuRust,  the  fissures  in  the  ice  had  expanded  ; 
the  whole  of  the  ice-pack  round  the  Sanin  was  set  in  motion, 
and  she  drifted  in  tlie  direction  of  the  cliffs  of  Station  Island. 
Slowly  she  was  carried  tliroush  the  Fram  Strait  to  the  open  sea. 
Withdrawing  hehind  a  cape  at  Xansen  Islan.l,  the  Snrtja 
awaited  the  drifting  away  of  the  ice-pack.  On  August  :^0, 
the  water-way  was  free,  and  she  l)egan  her  voyage  to  Koletnoi 
Island;  douhling  Cape  Chelyuskin  on  .Septeml)(>r  1,  she 
sighted,  three  days  later,  the  (>ast  coast  of  the  Taimyr  Penin- 
sula, witliout  meeting  any  ice. 

''As  we  drew  near."  writes  Toll,  "to  the  New  Siherian 
archipelago  m  fav()ral)le  weather  till  Septemher  7th,  a  .strong 
.south(>aster   lu-gan  to  hlow  in  our  teeth,  and  against  this  wo 


I  II 


sin  MAliTLV   coy  WAV 


421 


ni;i(lo  vory  slow  lic;i(hv;iy.     I,  therefore,  changed  tl 


lie  course 

to  the  northeast.  On  Septemljer  9tli  we  reached  the  ed-rc  of 
the  pack-ice  in  77°  !)'  X.,  and  14°  E.  Here  we  encountered 
a  southern  ^ale,  which,  actinj;  in  concert  with  the  marine 
current,  drove  tlie  Sarifd  M)  miles  to  the  northwest.  The 
storm  veered  round  to  the  west-southwest,  imd  I  thouj^ht 
it  better  again  to  make  tlie  most  of  the  wind  and  now  direct  our 
course  southeastwards  for  Bennett  Island,  instead  of  tryinj^ 
under  these  circumstances  to  penetrate  into  the  ice  in  search 
of  land.  On  S(>pteml)er  llth  the  imposing  headland  of  ("ape 
Enuna  at  Beimett  Island  sudd(>nly  loomed  up  befori'  us  out 
of  the  fog,  and  i)res(Mitly  became  again  wrai)i)ed  in  fog. 

"We  had  ajjproached  to  within  12  knots  of  the  island, 
when  our  further  advance  towards  it  was  barred  by  a  belt 
fourteen  fe(>t  thick  of  impenetrable  ice.  Here  we  remained 
two  days  in  the  hope  that  the  ice  might  shift,  but  in  vain  !" 

Disappointed  in  his  hopes  of  reaching  Sannikof  Land  in 
1902,  Aimm  Toll  succeculed  in  sheltering  the  Sarija  for  a 
second  winter  at  X(>r]iichi  Ray.  Kotelnoi  Island,  7.")°  22'  X., 
137°  Hi'  E.  The  .sad  disaster  which  overtook  the  bravo 
scientists  (>nds  a  chai)ter  valuable  to  Arctic  achievement. 

On  .Jun(>  7,  1902,  Baron  Toll,  accomi)anied  by  Seeberg, 
the  astronomer,  and  two  hunters,  left  for  a  geological  excursion, 
and  after  arduous  efforts  landed  on  Bennett  Island,  August  3, 
which  was  found  to  be  a  plateau  some  fifteen  hundred  feet  in 
height.  Their  researches  disclosed  Cambrian  deposits. — 
They  left  the  island  to  return  to  the  ship  on  XovemberS,  1902, 
and  wer(>  nev(T  seen  again.  Brunsnetf  and  Koltshak,  in  a  relief 
expedition  in  1904,  discovered  a  record  containing  the  informa- 
tion just  stated,  but  no  other  traces  w  re  found  of  these  coura- 
geous men  who  sacrificed  their  liv(>s  in  the  cause  of  science. 

Another  sc<>ne  of  activity  was  centred  in  S])itzbergen, 
for  crossing  which  in  189G  Sir  Martin  Tonway  and  party  re- 
ceived the  ai)i)lause  of  the  world.     The  following  year  he 


,1? 


1 


422 


THE  (.inM-r  iv/irif  xoimr 


i 


i 


M^ain    rcttinicd    to    (•oniimn.    i,;  ■  i 

llH.  last  fannvHls  an-  briof  and  touching,/'  writers  Alexis 


A.XDHtE'S  JiALLOO.V  EXPEDITION   TO   THE  POLE       428 
Vw  words  aro  cxchanswl,  hut  hearty  hantl- 


Aluch 


uron. 


clasps  bctwoon  those  whose  hearts 


are  in  sympathy  say  more 


than  vv.mls.     hu.l.h.nly  Amlree  snatches  himself  away  from 
the  embraces  of  his  friends  and  takc-s  his  phice  on  the  wicker 
\md^i^  of  the  car,  from  whence  he  calls  in  a  firm  voice  •  — 
'"Strindherg  .  .  .  Franaenkel  ...  Let    us   go!' 
"His  two  companions  at  once  take  their  places  beside  him 
l^.uch  IS  arme<l  with  a  knife  for  cutting  the  ropes  supporting  the 
groups  of  ballast   bags.  .   .   .     Andree  is  always  calm    cold 
and   impassable;    not   a  trace  of  e.notion  is  visibl,.    noth- 
ing l)ut  an  expression  of  firm  n-solution  an<l  an  imlomitabl,. 
unl.     He  IS  just  the  man  for  such  an  enterprise,  and  he  is 
well  second(.d  by  his  two  companions.     At  length  the  decisive 
moment  arrives  :  'One!  Two!  Cut!'  cries  Andree  in  SwecUsh. 
Ihe  three  sailors  obey  the  order  simultaneously,  and  in  one 
socond  the  aerial  ship,  free  and  unf(.ttered,  rise's  majestically 
into  space,  saluted  by  our  heartiest  cheers.  .  .  .     Scattered 
along  th(>  shore,  we  stand  motionless,  with  full  hearts  and  anx- 
ious eyes,  gazing  at  the  sihuit  horizon.     For  some  moments 
then,  l)etween  two  hills  we  perceive  a  gray  sp(>ck  over  the  sea' 
very,  very,  far  away,  and  then  it  finally  (Usanpears. 

"The  way  to  the  Pole  is  clear,  no  more  obstacles  to  en- 
counter —  the  sea,  the  ice-fields,  and  the  Unknown  '" 

Out  of  the  Great  White  North  came  a  lone  survivor,  a  carrier- 
pigeon,  bringing  the  tidings  writt(>n  "July  i;3th    l"?  ■  'iO  p  \i 
82°  2'  north  latitude,  15°  5'  east  longitu.le.     Cfood' journ..v 
eastward,   10°  south.     All  go.>s  well  on  board.     This  is  the 
fourth  message  sent  by  pigeon. 

"A\DRKE." 

Ah  !  but  all  did  not  go  W(>11.  In  June,  1809.  a  buoy  contain- 
ing a  note  from  Andree  was  found  in  Norway;  it  had  been 
thromi  out  eight  hours  after  ileparture. 

The  "North  Pole  buoy"  to  be  dropped  when  the  Pole  wag 


424 


Till-:  auEAT  will  IE  Mm  I'll 


i 

-        m 

"i 

■  p 

i4 


li 


,!, 


I 


of        :  n     ^l"";"'"'^'^'"  ^;''>^"-'--.  '^^!'!),  o„  tlH.  north  si.l.. 
of  Km^     harN.  lsl,..n.l.     A  tlunl  lu.ny.  uls„  ,.,„ptv.  was  pi.-k..! 

u     o.Mu.uvst  ..oast  of  I..lana.  July  ,7.1.,,,);^ 

^vZ  li:^'::  ^^'''''''-  "^r'^'  ''•  •'"«>•-— .1  anon. 

statmKthattlH.|,„oyu-asthnm-iioutat  10  ,..m.  Juh- 11    ls<>7 

at:.nulmud..of  ,.i,Mr  luu.ln-aand  tnvMty  tV,,,  n..vi„.north 
4o  L.     1  inis  thr  carnrr-,,i.,.on  was  tlu^  last  .....sscns,.,-  -- the 
har  >.n,v,-  ot  A,,l.Vs  last  u-,>nl  to  fn,.„.ls  on  .arth  •  th.  fit 
of  the  t  uv.  h,.av..  spirits  li..  huri,..!  i,.  „:.•  Arc-ti.-  sil...,., 

n  189S  I..a.hn.  tlu;  (;,.nnan  s.-i.-ntifi,.  ,.xp,.li,ion.  t.,  ol.t^in 
nn  >  fron,  An.lnv.  ,f  p.>ssil,l..  an.l  tin-  san...  y.,.,-  th.  Suv.lish 
An  hrop„l.,,H.aI  an.l  (;..o,Taphi..al  S.>..i.,tv  s..nt  .1.  Sta.llin-' 
^^■'f  ' ;;<>'"Pan.ons.  t.,  tlu-  L,.na  .l.-lta.  th..  n.outh  of  tho  V.nis.":; 
and    h..  .lands  of  X.W  Sii.na,  wh,.nMh..y  s..r..h...l  in  "^^^^ 
n       T"V    .  "■    '"'"'"'  •■<>'^'i.atri.>ts.     A,ain.  m    IS!)!). 
IJr.  A.  {,.  Nathorst  turncl  his  atf.ntion  to  .■ast.M-n  ( In-.-nlaml 
."an  unsu<...,..ssfnl  s.-an-h  for  ti.lin,s  of  An.lrcV,  n.akin,  valu- 
able nmps  an.l  .,l.s..rvations  of   th.  fior.l    sysf.n  of    Kin. 
)s,.ar  P.or.I.     X..,  .h.l  Captain  Ba.l..  in  his  expK.rations  in 
Las    >p,  .,.,„,,,.  K,„,,  (•,„,,,.  Lan.l.  an.l  Franz  Josof  Land 
in  1!»()()  hn.l  any  tra.vs  of  tli..  niissinu'  ammaut 

In  tH.'  yoar   1S!)4  Walter   W.lhnan,  an  An'u.rh-an,  made 
Sp  t.i>er.w  the  has.-  of  his  aetiviti..  in  an  att,.npt  to  pone- 
ate  the  P.  ar  pa..k  an.l  r.-a.-h  the  Xorth  P..1...     Sailing  in 
H'  ^.....W  J.,    he  had  the  nnsfortune  to  lose  his  .1" 
oft    Wal.L.n    Islan.l;    un.launt,..!    l,y  this  j-rave  .lisa>ter    he 
pushe.l  north  with  sLvl^vsas  far  as  sr,  hut  ha.l  t.>  retrae,'.  his 
steps,  owniirto  the  i.npen.-trahl..  eondition  of  th..  iee      H,"  had 
I'ourv.T.  reach..,  1  a  point  .-ast  of  Plat.-n   [slan.l.     WVllnnn 
asa.n  ...Lleavour,..!  to  eonr,u..r  the  i,...  in  18!)S.  this  time  ehoos- 
nv.  ior  h.s  base  Franz  J.,sef  Lan.l.     He  was  lih..rallv  fitte.l  out, 
;'!^';'•■;-"'Pam,..    an,.„>o.  others,  hy  Ev..lyn  B.  Baldwin  .,f  th,: 
Ln.te.l   >tat,.s    \\eath,.r    Bun^au.     My.    Welhnan   ma.le   his 


WELLMAX's    I'LAX    TO   liKACII  XOUTU   I'OLK        42') 


h(':ul<iuart('rs:it  "Haniiswortli  House,"  at  ('ai)('Tc<r('ttl»()ff,  for 
three  years  the  Arctic  lioiiie  of  Frederick  A.  Jackson  and 
his  coniiianious. 

In  Fel.ruary,  ISO!).  Mr.  Wc'lhiian.  with  three  companions, 
started  for  the  Pole  witii  every  jjromise  of  success.  \n 
unforeseen  accident  to  Mr.  Welhuan,  and  an  upheaval  in  the 
ice,  whicli  destroyed  many  dojrs  and  nmch  of  their  ('(juip- 
ment,  necessitated  a  hurried  return  to  headciuarters.  i:)isap- 
pointed,  hut  not  discourai;cd,  Welhnan  orj:;ani/ed  a  series  of 
important  scientific  observations  and  e.xpioi-ations,  (hirinjf 
which  Kvelyn  lialdwin,  in  a  loni^  sh'd}r(>  journey  to  Wilczek 
Land,  determined  its  eastern  l)oundary,  and  discovered,  among 
other  ishmds  to  tlie  northeast,  Craham  Hell  Land. 

To  that  daring  and  advc^nturous  prince,  IL  R.  H.  Luigi 
Ainedeo  of  Savoy,  the  duke  of  the  .\l)ruzzi,  is  (hie  one  of  the 
most  interesting  chapters  in  Arctic  history.  There  is  chann 
in  the  graceful  deiUcation  of  his  hook,  "To  Her  ALijesty  the 
(iueen-MotluT,"  as  well  as  in  his  gallant  trihute  to  his  Imivo 
companions  who  won  laurels  under  hi-  direction  and  fought 
gallantly  the  dangers  of  th(>  Arctic  under  his  haimer.  "Ital- 
ians and  Norwegians  hehaved  throughout  this  voyage  as 
though  the  cr(>w  were  composed  of  one  nationality."  he 
.says.  "I  had  comrades  with  me,  rather  than  sulxmlinates. 
I  express,  therefon>,  my  gratitude  towards  all.  since  to  their 
harmonious  ('(Miperation  is  du(>  ihe  success  of  my  exp(>dition, 
and  I  e.xpro.ss  the  same  gratitude  to  the  memory  of  the  three 
l)rave  men  who  i)erislied  whilst  on  th(>  sledge  expedition." 

The  Jason,  having  a  carrying  capacity  of  five  hundred  and 
s(>venty  tons  cargo,  was  i)urchase(l  hy  the  Duke,  renamed 
the  Stdld  I^olarc:  refitted,  eciuij^ped,  provisiontvl,  and  manned 
for  four  years,  at  a  tcjtal  cost  of  thirty-eight  thousaml  four 
hundriHl  and  thirteen  pounds  st(>rlin<i-. 

Second  in  command  to  the  Duke  of  Ahruzzi,  who,  hy  the 
way,  was  imt  twentv-six  vears  old  at  the  time  of  his  adventure 


4-2i\ 


THE  CREAT   WltlTE  NORTH 


i 


t    ^  ^ 


ly 


w:is  Ciiptain  rinhcrto  (  ajtiii  of  the  Italian  \avv.  in  charRo 
of  the  scientific  ()l)s(>rvati()ns.  ( )tli('r  officers  of  the  Navy  wore 
Lieutenant  Francesco  (^uerini.  in  cliarjie  of  tli(>  niineralojj;ical 
collections,  and  Dr.  Acliille  ('.  Molinelli,  medical  officer,  also 
in  charge  of  the  zoolojiical  and  i)otanical  collections.  Four 
other  of  licers,  a  crew  of  twelve,  ami  four  especially  experienced 
guides  completed  the  jiersonnel  of  the  expedition. 

Inder  the  personal  advice  and  superintendence  of  Dr. 
Nansen,  who  aided  in  every  possible  way  the  success  of  the 
expedition,  a  carefully  thouj-ht  out  plan  was  ma<le,  hy  which 
the  .S7(//(/  "nUirc  was  to  leave  Archangel,  early  in  July,  make 
for  CajH'  Flora  and  Xorthhook  Island,  establish  a  depot 
l)rovisioned  for  eij;ht  months,  then  ])roceed,  take  U]i  winter 
(piarters  as  far  north  as  i)()ssil)le,  close  to  the  lands  lyiufj;  west 
of  Franz  .losef  Land.  Sledge  journeys  in  the  autunm  would 
establish  a  chain  of  provision  caches  on  the  lands  to  the  north, 
and  in  the  sprinj^  a  sle(l<j;e  journey  to  the  north  for  a  world 
record  would  be  undertaken.  A  relreat  to  the  depot  at  ('aj)e 
Flora  with  or  without  the  ship  would  insure  subsistence  until 
the  arrival  of  u  relief  ship  to  be  sent  in  twoytvirs,  or,  if  the 
relief  ship  faih'd,  a  retreat  to  Nova  Zembla  or  Spitzbergen 
would  be  undertaken  by  boats. 

On  Juno  80,  ISO!),  th(>  SUlhi  Pohtre  reached  Archangel, 
where  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  dogs  were  taken  aboard 
to  be  used  in  the  sledge  journeys.  On  the  12th  of  July,  she 
weighed  anchor  and  proceeded  on  h<M-  voyage.  Ice  was  en- 
♦•oimtered,  July  17,  and  three  days  later  Xorthbrook  Island 
was  sighted,  and  a  visit  made  to  Jackson's  huts  ami  Leigh 
Smitl'.'s  winter  (juarters. 

The  Stclhi  Piilarc  bravely  fought  her  way  through  unfavour- 
able ic(>  conditions  and  succ(>e(led  in  reaching  H'2°  iW  X., 
'}\)°  K.  by  the  British  Channel.  Securing  an  anchorage  in 
Teplit/  Hay,  Prince  Kudolf  Land,  she  received  a  disastrous 
ni]),  September  7,  when  she  sprang  u  leak,  and  it   became 


ITALIAN  KXI'EUITION    USDER  DUKE  OF  AIUHZZI    427 


necessary  to  ilisctnhark  her  provisions  and  j'stablisli  winter 
(inarters  on  Uu<lolf  Island. 

"As  our  sliip,  which  we  had  abandoned  after  it  hail  been 
seized  by  the  ice,"  writes  the  Duke  of  Al)ruzzi,  "was  tlie  only 
means  of  our  ret»irni»n  home  in  the  following  year,  we  had  to 
consider  how  to  save  her.  Part  of  the  enj^ines,  the  condenser, 
and  the  furnaces  W(>re  under  water,  which  had  frozen  to  a 
thickness  of  al)out  nineteen  inches.  The  ship  had  not 
changed  her  position,  but  hail  heeled  over  still  more  as  the 
ice  which  had  supi)orted  her  had  ^iveu  way. 

"The  water  had  first  to  l)e  pumjx'd  out  of  the  ship  to  enal)le 
us  to  find  the  leak  on  the  left  side,  and  this  had  to  be  mended 
as  well  as  that  which  was  visible  on  the  ri{j;ht  side  ;  we  had 
then  to  see  if  it  would  be  possible  to  kee])  the  shij)  dry,  and 
if  not,  to  protect  the  engines  so  that  they  might  remain  under 
water  during  the  winter  without  being  injured.  Such  was  the 
work  before  us.  At  that  time  I  did  not  Ijelieve  it  jmssible, 
but  Captain  C\igni  never  despaired  for  a  moment  of  l)eing 
able  to  carry  it  out,  and  if  it  was  accomplished,  it  was  owing 
to  his  strong  will  anil  to  his  perseverance,  which  was  never 
discouraged  by  any  difficulties." 

Early  in  the  winter,  the  Duke  of  Abruzzi,  in  one  of  his 
sledge  excursions,  had  the  misfortune  to  freeze  a  j)art  of  his 
left  hand,  which  resulted  in  the  loss  of  the  joints  of  two  of  his 
fingers.  This  unfortunate  accident  preventeil  his  accomj)any- 
ing  the  spring  sledge  journey  to  the  north,  for  which  active 
jireparatious  were  already  in  progress.  The  sledges  and  kay- 
aks were  patterned  after  those  used  by  Dr.  Nansen  ;  the  for- 
mer eleven  feet  five  inches  long,  six  inches  wide,  and  six  and 
one-half  inches  high,  with  convex  runners  shod  with  jilates  of 
white  metal,  and  were  saturated  with  a  mixture  of  jMtch, 
stearine,  and  tallow  to  render  them  more  slippery  and  durable. 

After  careful  calculations  by  Dr.  Molinelli,  the  rations  to 
be  carried  were    estimated  at    two  pounds  twelve  ounces 


4J8 


Tilt:  (iUKAT    WllirE  yOUTlI 


nine  (liariis  per  day  for  racli  man,  coiisistiii^  (»f  biscuit, 
tinned  meat,  pcniinicaii,  liuttcr,  milk,  I.ifl)ij;'s  Ivxtrurt, 
dcsiccatid  vcKctablcs,  Italian  pasti',  susuir,  coflVc,  tea,  t'liot'u- 
latc,  etc. 

Tiic  lirst  start  was  made  in  I'Vhruar, ',  l)Ut  after  travcllin}>; 
in  tlic  extreme  cold  for  several  days,  tlie  i)arty  returned  and 
made  a  fresh  start,  March  11.  The  expedition  was  com|)osed 
of  ten  men  and  thirteen  sledj;-es,  which,  with  their  loads, 
weighed  five  hundred  and  fifty-one  pounds  each,  and  was 
drawn  by  one  hundred  and  two  dof^s. 

It  had  l)een  pre  ously  settled  to  send  hack  detaclnnents, 
after  twelve,  twenty-four,  and  thirty-six  days;  the  last  de- 
tachment to  remain  in  the  field  seventy-two  days.  Ca^ni, 
however,  modified  these  plans,  and  in  the  meantime  the  Duke 
of  Ahruzzi  anxiously  waited  the  return  of  the  first  detachment. 
On  April  IS,  the  second  detachment  returned  to  camp;  tlu-y 
had  left  ( "ominander  ( 'aiiiii,  March  ;}!.  The  first  detachment, 
consisting;  of  Lieutenant  (^uerini,  St(')kken,  and  (Oilier,  had 
started  to  return  March  23.  An  immediate  .search  was  in- 
stituted for  the  missiny;  men,  hut  without  results.  After 
every  efi'ort  had  been  ex])ended,  the  three  men  were  {^ivcn  up 
for  lost.  Meantime,  the  other  sujiportins  parties  havin<? 
returned,  an.xiety  was  be<;iimin<i  to  manifest  itself  for  Cagni. 
The  day  set  for  his  rettu'n  had  come  and  fione.  On  May  10, 
Dr.  Molinelli  and  two  companions  had  set  out  for  Cape 
Fligely,  with  jirovisions  for  ten  days,  to  look  for  him.  The 
Duke  of  Abruzzi  anxiously  scanned  the  horizon  with  liis  tele- 
scope for  siitns  of  his  missing  comjxuiions.  After  an  absence 
of  one  hundred  and  fom-  days.  Captain  Cagni,  with  three  com- 
l)anions,  havii"s>;  ma<le  a  world  record  and  reached  8G°  34', 
was  sighted  in  the  (listanc(>  and  welcomed  home  by  his  im- 
l)atient  and  enthusiastic  companions. 

"Although  their  strength  had  been  much  reduced,"  writes 
Al)ruzzi,  "by  want  of  sufficient  food,  they  were  not  exlumsted. 


LO.S.S   or   THE  "STELLA    I'uLMiE 


12'.> 


The  seven  do^s  which  survived  seeiiieil  much  worse  ;  sdine  <tf 
them  were  merely  skin  tuul  bone.  The  only  iKirt  of  their  out- 
fit they  hud  brought  buck  th:it  was  still  ctipahle  (»f  hein^  of 
any  use,  was  their  tent,  and  this  had  been  mendi-d.  The  frame- 
work of  the  kayaks  had  been  broken  and  their  canvas  torn,  so 
that  they  could  not  be  u>ed  unle>s  a  week  was  sixiit  in  mend- 
in);  them.  The  sled;;es  wliich  remained  had  been  niende(l 
with  pieces  of  other  sledges.  All  tluit  was  left  of  their  cooking 
utensils  was  the  outer  coverinfi  of  the  stove,  a  saucepan  which 
had  been  mended,  and  the  plates.  The  I'rinnis  him])  had  been 
replaced  by  a  i)ot,  in  which  do^'s  )>;rease  had  been  burned  for 
the  last  few  weeks.  The  sleepinn-ba^;  had  Ix'cn  thrown  away, 
and  only  the  thick  canvas  lining  kei)t.     Their  clothes  were  in 

rags." 

Casni  had  advanced  under  the  same  trying;  conditions  of 
hummocky  ice,  slush,  and  deep  snow  that  had  Ixcn  encountered 
by  Nansen  ;  he  hud  had  the  misfortime  to  free/e  one  of  his 
finders,  and  suffered  excruciating  pain,  necessitatinfj;  his 
operating  with  his  own  hand  and  removinji;  the  dead  mass  with 
a  pair  of  scis.sors.  He  had  steadily  advanced  until  April  2.'), 
1900. 

His  return  journey  covered  sixty  days  under  th(>  most 
alarminp  conditions  ;  for  on  May  18,  ho  writes:  "I  feel  more 
and  more  every  »Ly  a  terrible  anxiety  with  regard  to  our  fate. 
After  marching  nine  days  toward  the  southeast,  we  are  nearly 
on  the  same  meridian."  owing  to  the  southwest  drift  of  the 
ice-pack.  Four  we(>ks  more  of  almost  superhuman  effort 
brought  them  to  Harly  Island,  from  which  point  they  made 
their  way  to  Rudolf  Island. 

With  the  achievement  of  this  brilliant  record  it  now  re- 
mained but  to  free  the  Stella  Pnlarv  by  blasting  and  cutting 
channels  about  her  snug  quarters.  The  brief  Arctic  summer 
having  set  in,  her  deliverance  at  last  was  secured,  and  "At 
half-past  one  in  the  morning  of  August  10,  everything  was 


I. 

i 


I 


i!    i     \ 


4;?() 


///£  a  HEAT  wiiin:  soiiih 


rculy.  and  we  >t('ain<'il  >lu"  ly  a\Vii\  Iruiii  the  .■.Ii(trc.  givinn 
llirrc  cliffrs  as  we  turned  round  llu'  \vv  of  thf  huy  which  hud 
held  us  so  lonu  hnprisoncd." 

la  contrast  to  thi*  Italian  cxiM-dition,  the  I'.aldwin-Zicjiler 
I*ohir  expedition,  which  saih'd  I'roni  'I'miusoe,  .\<trway,  July 
17,  I'.IOO,  stands  out  conspicuously.  Mi.  Uaidwin  was  iMtiu 
in  Sprin;itield.  Missouri,  in  \Xi\'l.  He  IkkI  mcu  Ar<ti(  .-er\  ice 
with  the  I'eary  exiM'dition  t>t  lS'i;{  |,S!»1,  and  had  ...uic  near 
heiliK  one  oi'  the  ill-fated  AnthV-  lialloon  part  \ .  He  had  done 
Hood  service  with  Wellinan  in  Fran/  .l(»sef  Land,  and  now 
with  the  unlimited  means  |)ut  at  his  disposal  !v  tlie  munifi- 
cence of  Mr.  William  Zie-^ler  of  New  York,  he  pruimsed  to 
contpier  the  Pole. 

"Our  fleet. "  wrote  Mr,  Haldwin  in  MiClnn's  Miigazim , 
SeptemlxT,  l!H)l,  "comprises  three  vessel-.  The  .1//^*  lini,  our 
flay;ship,  as  some  oiu-  has  expressed  it,  is  a  three-uiasted  ship- 
ri<;,u;ed  steamer  of  4()t)  tons  net  hurden,  drivinu;  a  sin^rle  screw. 
Her  h'ti^th  over  all  is  l.')7  feet  ;  beam,  27  h'et  ;  de|)tli,  l!t 
feet.  .  .  .  The  Frithiof  is  a  Xorwe^ian  sailiniu;- vessel,  .  .  . 
the  third  vessel  is  the  lidijia,  which  carried  the  lieljrian  .\ntarc- 
tic  expedition  of  iS!)7   IS!)!),  under  < 'aptain  (lerlache." 

Never  hefon^  in  the  history  of  I'olar  exjieditions  was  food 
and  ecpiipment  carried  in  .such  luxurious  profusion.  The 
three  vessels  were  as  many  floating  liotels  with  larders  lacking 
"nothing  that  foresight,  experienc,  -ind  the  jjenorosity  of 
jVFr.  Zicfiier  could  suj^sest  or  procure." 

The  scientific  ecpiipmont  was  also  complete,  including 
small  balloons  with  releasing  devices  for  dopositinp;  reconls 
when  the  ground  was  readied,  huoys  with  records  to  be  sent 
Hoatinp;  back  to  civilization  by  the  currents,  search-lights  and 
wireless  telegraph,  besides  the  standard  scientific  instruments 
for  meteorological,  astronomical,  and  geodetic  work.  There 
were  three  hundred  and  twenty  dogs,  and  fifteen  jionies  in 
charge  of  six  expert  Ilussian  drivers. 


li.ii.DHiy  /.iKiiLKu  Exrmni ms  of  i-xio 


4;il 


"Tin-  pn'sciit  cxpcdilioh,"'  wrote  Mr.  lialihvin,  "typitiis 
the  spirit  of  tli<'  Iwciil itih  (ciitury;"  ;in<l  lu'  adds,  "No 
previous  »'.\p<<  lit  ion  to  llu'  north  lias  ever  niaile  sucli  complete 
urrungeinenl.s  for  the  iraii.sinissioii  of  news  l>aek  to  livih/ation 
us  that  wliich  1  have  the  iionor  to  conunand." 

"The  Aimriai  and  the  Fnlhinf  left  Tronisoe,  Norway,  in 
July,  I'JUl,  foi  Fran/,  .lo>ef  Land,  whieh  Baldwin  rej;ar(h'd  as 
the  Ixst  start nijii-poinl  for  a  polar  venture,"  writes  Mr.  V.  V. 
M'Clrath  in  the  Hniar  of  Rtiiiws,  July,  HM)."),  "proeeedin^^  to 
Alger  Island,  in  latitude  80"  24'  north,  longitude  ")')"  ")2'  east, 
where  he  estal>lished  his  winter  quarters.  Tlu'  Frilhlof 
unloa(h'd  her  stores  and  proceeded  south,  leaving  tlie  Aint>iai 
harl)ore<l,  with  the  dogs  and  e(iuipnient  ashore,  portable 
liDUses  erected,  and  iletail  of  dutii's  being  carrii'd  out.  The 
l)ersonnel  comprised  12  soTils,  17  Americans,  G  Russians, 
und  11)  shii)men,  mostly  Norwegians,  (lame  was  plentiful, 
and  .several  tons  of  bear  and  walrus  meat  were  accunuilated, 
tlie  former  for  the  men  and  the  latter  for  the  dogs.  With  this 
base  Im^votuI  the  eightieth  parallel,  lialdwin  intended  to  push 
forward  with  his  ship,  or  over  the  ice.  exploring  the  adjacent 
region  for  uncharted  land  masses  which  woulil  sui)i)ly  station- 
ary points,  insuring  him  against  the  disadvantages  of  an  ad- 
vance across  the  shifting  ice,  and  from  the  farthest  north  of 
these  he  would,  tlie  n(>xt  spring,  make  his  dash  acro.ss  the 
crystal  fields  for  the  Pole.  In  this  he  would  empl<iy  about 
twenty-fiv(>  men  as  a  vanguard  and  reserve,  the  flying  column 
pushing  ra])idly  ahead,  and  the  transport  train  following  with 
the  heavier  supplies.  Numerically,  the  party  would  be  strong 
enough  to  overc(>me  otherwise  serious  obstacles,  while  the 
quantity  of  sup])lies  to  be  carriinl  by  1^20  dogs  and  1.')  ponies 
would  put  the  jwssibility  of  disaster  almost  out  of  the  quest  ion. 
.  .  .  With  this  elaborate  programme,  and  the  knowledge  that 
the  Duke  of  Abruzzi,  with  a  nnich  smaller  party,  attaint  <l  a 
northing  of  80°  33',  Baldwin  confidently  anticipated  making  the 


1  :' 


432 


TlIK  HUE  AT    (17/    it 


UTU 


\      I 


'i 


\> 


i>; 


ii 


Pole.  And,  ii.s  in  that  segim'nt  of  tlic  Arctic  Circle  he  might 
find  hiiDsc'lf,  in  ictuniing,  obliged  by  ice  and  currents  to  head 
for  the  (Ireenland  coast,  which  reaches  to  83°  27',  or  180 
miles  nearer  the  Pole  than  his  base,  he  planned  that  if  he 
shoulil  be  swerved  westward  by  the  tides,  it  woukl  be  easier 
to  reach  that  shore.  There  he  would  find  musk-oxen  to  eke 
out  his  supplies,  and  journey  down  the  east  coast  to  where 
the  depot  was  made  by  the  Bclyica  for  him.  But,  as  often 
happens  in  Polar  work,  Baldwin's  hopes  were  blasted,  dissen- 
sions rent  his  i)arty  asunder,  his  dogs  perished  by  the  score, 
and  after  a  futile  attemjjt  to  get  north,  he  and  his  whole 
party  returned  to  Tromsoe  in  August,  1902,  while  the  Frithinf, 
whidi  had  sailed  for  Alger  Island  a  month  previous  with  addi- 
tional outfits  and  for  news  of  him,  had  to  retreat,  owing  to  the 
unl)roken  ice-pack." 

The  return  of  the  Baldwin-Ziegler  expedition  in  the  autumn 
of  1902  was  fc)llow(>(l  by  that  reorganized  by  Mr.  Ziegler  and 
given  to  the  leadership  of  iSIr.  Anthony  Fiala  of  Brooklyn, 
N(>w  York,  to  be  carried  out  on  practically  the  same  lines  laid 
out  l)y  Mr.  lialdwin. 

Captain  Edwin  CoflRn,  of  Edgartown,  Massachusetts,  was 
chosen  as  navigating  officer,  and  he  assembled  an  American 
crew,  most  of  them  experienced  whalers.  Of  the  Field  Staff, 
IMr.  William  J.  Peters,  of  the  C.(H)logical  Survey  and  represent- 
ing the  National  Ceograjjliic  Society,  was  chosen  as  chief 
scientist  and  second  in  command  of  the  expediti(m.  The 
results  of  his  systematic  records  and  magnetical  observations, 
when  in  the  north,  were  of  the  highest  value,  and  he  rendered 
most  effici(Mit  service. 

After  collecting  stores  and  e(|uif)ment,  the  America  sailed 
from  Trondhjeni.  Norway,  Jime  23,  1003.  Brief  .stops  were 
made  at  the  island  of  Tronii)  aiul  Archangel,  where  dogs, 
l>onies,  and  additional  stores  were  taken  aboard.  The  ice 
was  first  met,  July  13.  in  71°  r,!'  north  latitiide,  38°  37'  east 


1^  - 


,« 


I 


> 


''1 


i       I 


l'> 


.1 


RETriiN   OF  EXPEDITION   IN  AUTUMN 


433 


longitude,  through  which  the  America  steamed  and  blasted 
her  way  to  Cape  Flora,  which  was  reached  August  12.  A 
few  ilays  later  Triplitz  Bay  was  passed,  with  the  "skeleton- 
like remains  of  the  framework  of  the  tent  where  lived  the 
brave  Abruzzi  and  his  companions,  standing  out  in  plain  view." 
The  America  made  the  highest  northing  of  a  ship  under 
steam  in  the  Western  Hemisphere,  and  reached  a  point,  82° 
north  latitude  ;  she  then  returned  to  Triplitz  Bay.  Upon 
landing,  Kiala  found  the  Abruzzi  cache  in  excellent  condition. 
"Camp  Abruzzi"  was  established,  scientific  work  at  once 
begun,  and  preparations  commenced  for  the  spring  sledge 
journey  to  the  north. 

Severe  gales  struck  in  early  in  October,  and  continued 
almost  unremittingly  until  the  last  of  the  month,  when  they 
raged  with  such  fury  as  to  threaten  the  safety  of  the  ship. 

She  bravely  withstood  the  terrible  ice  pressures  to  which 
she  was  subjected  until  January  23,  when,  during  a  frightful 
hurricane,  she  disappeared  from  view. 

The  first  week  in  March  a  sledging  journey  was  undertaken, 
comprising  twenty-six  men,  sixteen  pony-sledges,  and  thirteen 
dog-sledges,  but  the  severity  of  storms,  and  the  suffering  and 
hardship  endured  from  cold,  decided  the  party  to  return,  and 
camp  was  reached  on  March  11.  Other  journeys  of  short 
duration  were  undertaken  with  similar  success.  Leaving 
part  of  th(>  company  at  Camp  Abruzzi,  Fiala  made  a  retreat 
to  Cape  Flora,  there  to  await  the  promised  relief  ship  which 
was  expected  early  in  August.  His  idea  was  to  renew  his 
North  Pole  dash  the  following  season. 

The  expected  ship  was  eagerly  watched  for,  but  as  the 
months  sped  by  one  by  one,  and  the  sliip  did  not  come, 
preparations  wen^  made  for  wintering,  and  the  libera!  depots  of 
supplies  left  by  Jackson,  Abruzzi,  and  Andree,  were  examined 
and  found  in  excellent  condition. 

"Elmwnnd,"    Jackson's    little    house,  was    dug    out    and 


l\ 


•_'  I 


434 


TiiK  an  EAT  w  iiirt:  south 


1 


made    luil»it;il)l('.      ( 'oiiiinunication    \v;i.s    frcciucnt    hctwocn 
"Ciiinp   Ahruz/i"   and   "  I'^liiiwood." 

Fialu,  in  a  coKl  uiid  dauf^cruus  journey,  rctunu'd  to  Camp 
Al)riizzi,  when'  liciiuKle  preparations  for  another  sprinj;  jour 
ney  toward  the  Poh',  to  he  undertaken  with  one  coinpanit 
three  doji;  teams,  and  a  support inii;  eohmin  of  three  small 
detaehnients.  Seaman  Dutty,  who  hatl  aeeompanied  Fiala 
*o  Cape  Barentz  in  August,  1904,  and  Camp  Flora  in  Jiuk; 
of  the  same  year,  was  chosen  as  his  companion.  The  start 
was  made  in  March,  but  very  slow  j)rogress  was  made.  After 
days  of  disheartening  travel,  covering  hut  a  few  miles  a  day, 
the  comlitions  grew  worse  instead  of  iu'tler.  "Our  trail  was 
from  ice-cake  to  ice-cake,"  writes  Fiala,  "whil(>  we  crossed  the 
separating  water  hy  means  of  ice-bridges  laboriouslj'  con- 
structed at  tht  narrowest  points  with  our  ice-picks.  In  other 
places,  we  traversed  monster  pressure  ridges  that  splintered 
and  thundered  under  our  feet,  scaring  the  dogs  vmtil  they 
whined  and  whimiiered  in  their  terror.  It  was  difficult  to 
find  a  cake  of  ice  large  enough  for  our  small  party  to  camp 
on.  Deep  snow  and  numerous  water-lan(>s,  with  a  high 
temperature  and  attendant  fog,  also  imjieded  our  advance." 

On  March  22.  the  advance  was  abandoned,  and  ten  days 
were  occupied  in  the  retreat.  Camp  Abruzzi  w^as  reached, 
April  1. 

The  relief  ship  Terra  Nova  reached  Cape  Flora  the  (>nd 
of  July,  picked  uj)  the  party  encamped  th(Te,  and,  touching  at 
Cape  Dillon,  took  aboard  the  remaind(>r.  It  was  then  learneil 
that  in  1004  tlie  Frith iofhnd  ma<le  two  bold  attempts  to  reach 
Cape  Flora,  but  had  been  unsuccc.'ssful. 


CHAITKR   XXII 


Oltn  Svcnlrup.  —  Four  years'  voyiiKc  of  the  Fram. — Journoys  in 
J'^Uo-siiU'ri'  Land.  —  Important  cx|)loratioii  of  Jones  Sound.  —  Dis- 
covtiy  of  new  land>. — Release  of  tlie  f'/7//».  f'aptani  Uoald 
Annuiilsen.  -The  voyage  of  t  lie  r/'/Vja.  —  Pieacliesliead  of  Petersen 
Bay  (Kins  William  Land).  -Two  years'  stay.  -  V'aluahle  sei- 
cntifie  observations.  —  Vi.sit,s  from  llskinios. — Siedjie  journeys. 
—  Release  from  the  ice.  ^.VuRust  14,  llKHi. — Completion  of 
the  Northwest  I'assage.  -Another  .Vretie  winter.  —Sledge jour- 
ney of  Amimd.sen  to  I'laj^le  City.  —  Release  of  the  Gjoa. — 
Reaches  San  Francisco,  l'.)07. 

In  the  (Icoqrnpliiail  Jniininl  of  NovomlxT,  1902,  Sir 
Cloments  R.  ]\Iarkhiirn,  Prosident  of  tlio  Royal  (Je()}>;raphicHl 
Socii^ty  of  Loudon,  coninientinK  on  the  rcnuirkat)l('  achievc- 
mont  of  Otto  Svordrup  and  hi.s  gallant  companion.-;  during 
four  travelling  seasons  entailing  four  Arctic  winters,  expresses 
himself  as  follows  :  — 

"They  have  discovered  the  western  -ide  of  Ellesmere  Island 
and  the  intricate  system  of  fiords,  as  well  as  three  large  islands 
west  of  Ellesmere  Island  ;  they  have  explored  the  northern 
coast  of  North  Devon  ;  they  have  connected  Belcher's  work 
with  the  coasts  of  Jones  Sound  ;  they  have  reached  a  poitit 
within  ()()  miles  of  Aldrich's  farthest  ;  and  they  have  discov- 
ered that  land  north  of  the  Parry  Islands,  the  existence  of 
which  was  conjectured,  as  far  we.st  as  the  longitude  of  the 
eastern  coa.st  of  Melville  Island.  This  includes  the  discovery 
of  tile  nortliern  sides  of  North  Cornwall  and  Findlay  Islands. 
In  addition  to  the  main  .Vrctic  proiilem  which  is  thus  solved, 
it  is  likely  tliat  the  regions  discovered  will  be  of  exceptional 
interest,  from  the  winds  and  currents,  the  varying  character 

43J 


M 


436 


rut:   (iUKAT    WHITE  NORTH 


J 


i 


\  ' 


* 


< 


of  the  ice,  the  exist(>nc(<  of  coul-hcds,  and  the  iihundarKV  of 
animal  life.  A  .systematic  survey  has  been  made  of  these 
imi)()rtant  discoveries,  ch(>cked  hy  astronomical  olwervations." 

"We  must  look  forward,"  concludes  Markham,  "to  an 
account  of  these  things,  and  to  the  details  of  tlie  expedition, 
\\'ith  the  deeiH'st  interest  ;  and  meanwhile  we  may  well  ex- 
press admiration  for  the  way  in  which  the  work  was  conceived 
and  executed,  and  at  the  perfect  harmony  with  which  all  loy- 
ally worked  under  their  chief.  Without  such  harmonious 
work,  success  was  not  possible." 

The  Xorwesiun,  Otto  Neumann  Sverdrup,  was  i)orn  in 
Bindalen,  in  Flelfjeland,  in  18").').  At  seventeen  years  of  age  ho 
went  to  sea,  i)assed  his  mate's  examination  in  1878,  and  for 
some  y(>ars  was  cajitain  of  a  ship.  He  accompanied  Xansen 
on  the  Greenland  expedition  in  1888-1889  and  was  captain  of 
the  Fram  on  Nansen's  famous  Polar  voyage.  A  few  days 
after  the  return  of  this  expedition  in  September,  180(),  while 
the  Frmn  was  lying  in  Lysaker  Bay,  Dr.  Xansen  came  aboard 
one  morning. 

"Do  you  still  wish  to  go  on  another  expedition  to  the 
north?"  he  asked  Sverdrup. 

"Yes,  certainly,  if  only  I  had  the  chance,"  came  the 
prompt  reply. 

Then  Xansen  told  him  that  Consul  Axel  Heiborg  and  the 
firm  of  brewers,  Messrs.  Ringnes  Brothers,  were  willing  to 
finance  and  equip  another  scientific  Polar  expedition,  with 
Captain  Sverdrup  as  leader. 

The  Fmm  was  loaned  by  the  Norwegian  government,  and 
about  eleven  hundred  pounds  was  granted  by  the  "  Storthing  " 
for  necessary  alterations  and  repairs.  The  personnel  of  the 
expedition  was  most  carefully  selected,  including  Lieutenant 
^Ictor  Banman  of  the  Xorwegian  Xavy.  Lieutenant  Ingvald 
Isachsen  of  the  Army,  the  botanist  Herman  Georg  Simmons, 
a  graduate  of  the   University  of  Lund  :    and  Edvard  Bay, 


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FOUlt    y HA  lis'    VOYAGE  OF  THE  ''  FHAM 


4;J7 


zoologist,  ;i  graduate  of  tho  University  of  Copenhagen,  the 
latter  a  nieniher  of  Lieutenant  Ryder's  expedition  to  tho 
east  eoast  of  (Jreejiland  in  1801. 

Th(>  Fram  was  reaily  for  sea,  June  24,  1898,  and  left  her 
moorings  with  the  (piay  paeked  with  people  and  the  iionl 
covered  with  small  eraft  "which  had  come  to  see  the  lust  of 
us  and  wish  us  a  safe  return  home." 

Captain  Sverdrup's  original  plan  was  to  j)usli  through 
Kennedy  and  Hoheson  channels  and  as  far  along  the  north 
coast  of  (ireenland  as  possible  before  seeking  wint<'r  (juarters. 
The  unfavoural)le  seasons  of  1898-1899  prevented  him  from 
carrying  out  his  intentions,  and  he  fortunately  turned  his 
attention  to  Jones  Sound,  which  led  to  the  completion  of  the 
most  imf)ortant  Arctic  work  yet  remaining;  "namely,  the 
discovery  of  what  was  hitherto  unknown  in  the  wide  gap 
between  Prince  Patrick  Island  and  Aldrich's  farthest." 

Frustrated  in  his  attempt  to  enter  Kane  Basin,  Sverdrup 
wintered  in  Rice  Strait,  west  of  Cape  Sabine.  Immediate 
prejiarations  were  made  for  passing  the  cold  season,  and  scien- 
tific observations  and  exploring  trips  occupied  the  autumn. 

In  describing  the  sun  sinking  out  of  sight,  Sunday,  October 
1(3,  1898,  Sverdrup  says  :  — 

"We  were  looking  at  the  sun  for  the  last  time  that  year. 
Its  pale  light  lay  dying  over  the  'inland  ice'  ;  its  disk,  light 
red,  was  veiled  on  the  horizon  ;  it  was  like  a  day  in  the  land  of 
tlie  dead.  All  light  was  so  hopelessly  cold,  all  life  so  far  away. 
We  stood  and  watched  it  until  it  sank;  then  everything  became 
so  still  it  made  one  shudder  —  as  if  the  Almighty  had  deserted 
us,  and  shut  the  Oat(>s  of  Heaven.  The  light  died  away  across 
the  mountains,  and  slowly  vanished,  while  over  us  crept  the 
great  shades  of  the  polar  night,  the  night  that  kills  all  life. 
I  think  that  each  of  us,  as  we  stood  there,  felt  his  heart  swell 
within  him.  Never  before  had  we  experienced  homesickness 
like  this  —  and  littl(>  was  said  when  we  continu(Ml  on  our  way. 


488 


TllK  CHEAT    Will  IE   SOUTH 


M  N 


.  .  .  Here  came  Franklin,  with  a  hundred  and  thirty-oijj;ht 
men.  The  polar  ni^ht  stopped  him  ;  and  not  one  returned. 
Ilereeaniedreely,  with  five  and  twenty  njen;  six  returned. 
Well  !  there  lay  the  Indm,  stout  and  defiant,  like  a  little 
fairy-house,  in  the  midst  of  the  polar  niv;ht.  It  was  warm 
and  bright  in  lu-r  cabins,  and  we  worked  with  a  will  from 
niorninji;  to  niuht." 

Sledj!;e  journeys,  ineludinj;  a  visit  to  the  Windn-nrd,  Lieu- 
tenant I'eary's  ship,  and  a  personal  interview  with  the  ex- 
plorer himself ;  visits  to  the  t'mm  by  neiKhboin-ing  Kskimos 
and  a  brilliant  journey  acro.ss  Ellesmere  Land,  ot'cupi(>d  mem- 
bers of  the  Sverdrup  expedition  until  May  17,  1899,  when 
those  on  board  the  Fmm  celebrated  with  true  patriotism  the 
Independence  Day  of  Norway. 

On  one  of  the  early  summer  sh'djre  journeys.  Dr.  Johan 
Svendsen  sacrificed  his  life.  Overrating  his  endurance,  he 
had  rapidly  failed,  and  thouj^h  he  persisted  in  remaininp  in 
the  field,  his  strength  (Ud  not  return.  After  a  day's  work, 
Sverdrup  came  into  camp,  where  Sclei  and  Simmons  were 
cooking  dinner.  "The  doctor  said  he  felt  nmch  i)etter," 
writes  Sverdrup;  "the  pain  in  his  side  was  gone,  and  his  eyes 
had  so  far  recovere<l  that  he  could  sit  inside  the  tent  without 
spectacles.  ...  I  then  asked  him  for  a  second  time  if  he 
would  not  let  me  take  him  on  board,  now  that  we  had  all 
rested,  but  he  would  not  hear  of  it,  and  said  that  he  should 
prefer  to  remain  where  he  was.  I  then  offered  to  stay  behind 
with  him  —  we  could  collect  insects  and  shoot  seals  together. 
Rut  he  would  not  let  me  defer  the  journey  to  Beitstadfjord, 
and  said  that  tlie  time  would  pass  quickly,  even  when  he  was 
there  alone.  He  could  go  out  sliooting,  collect  insects,  and 
look  after  his  dogs  ;  —  he  would  have  plenty  to  do.  .  .  .  Wc; 
got  ready  for  our  four  days'  trip  to  Beitstadfjord,  and  the 
doctor  helped  us  to  carry  down  our  things,  lash  the  loads 
to  the  sledges,   and  harness  the  dogs.      And   then  we   said 


rorii  VKARs'  rovAaE  of  IIIK  "  fiiam" 


4:]!) 


good-hy  to  OIK    unothrr,  littlo  thinking  what  was  about  to 
happen." 

Four  (lays  lator  tho  ah  nt  party  returned.  "To  our  great 
.sorrow  we  found  the  doctor  dead." 

On  June  10,  1S99,  ('ai)tain  Sverdrup  made  the  entry  in 
his  journal :  — 

"The  flag  is  flying  at  half  ina.st  from  the  pole  to-day.  It 
is  the  first  tiiii'  it  lias  been  in  this  position  on  board  the  Fntni, 
h't  us  hope  it  \ull  inch-ed  be  the  last." 

The  interesting  jouni''y  across  the  "inland  ice"  of  KUes- 
mere  Land,  by  Isaclisen  and  Bnuskerud  was  undertaken  May 
23,  lS\>:t,  with  food  for  thirty  days,  and  instruments  and  ("Cjuip- 
ment  ;  ..  total  weight  of  eight  hundred  and  seventy-two 
pounds,  divided  eciually  upon  the  sledges,  each  drawn  by  six 
dogs.  Choosing  a  route  to  the  we.stward,  Isach.sen  writes  in 
his  report :  — 

"About  midnight  on  .Tune  2,  we  saw  from  the  high  groimd 
to  the  northwest  the  first  sight  of  what,  later,  proved  the  west 
coast.  It  was  a  fiord-arm,  which  cut  into  the  1  !ul  in  an  east- 
erly direction  from  the  larger  fiord  lying  almost  due  north 
and  south.  From  the  outer  part  of  tliis  fiord-arm  a  chain  of 
mountains  of  e(|ual  heights  ran  in  a  south  .isterly  directi(m. 
Nearer,  and  in  front  of  tliis  chain,  was  a  wide  level  waste  — 
'BrakerndHya.'  Ther.'  was  no  snow,  either  on  the  waste  or 
on  the  mountains.  In  one  part  only  of  the  chain  was  a  frag- 
ment of  glacier  to  be  seen  hanging  over  the  upper  part  of  the 
mountain  side.  In  th(^  southeast  the  waste  abutted  imme- 
diately on  the  'inland  ice.'  " 

Travelling  over  a  glacier,  tluy  end(\avoure(l  to  reach  the  bare 
land  of  the  fiord  ;  this  they  succeeded  in  doing,  Jime  4. 
"Three  convergiiiii  glaciers  fell  into  a  gla<  cr-lake,  and  the 
following  day  we  drove  on  this  down  the  valley  but  only  for 
a  couple  of  miles,  which  was  the  extent  of  its  length.  The 
ice  on  it  was  about  to  l^reak  up." 


440 


77/ a;  aiiKAi   win II-:  soitrii 


,  > 


i   (/ 


i-ii 


I  1 


J 


"4 


I' 


.', 


'I; 


Iliivins  encamped,  the  two  men  nimliled  oxer  a  e(tM.si(ler- 
al)le  :ire:i  in  tlie  vicinity;  finding  luxuriant  vegetation  wher- 
ever there  was  hare  hind.  At  a  distance  some  ten  or  eleven 
miles  in  a  northwesterly  (hrection,  there  was  no  "  inland  ice" 
west  of  the  northernniost  >!;laciers  previously  mentioned. 
After  continuinjf  their  exjjlorat ions  for  several  days,  they  were 
forced  toreturn  throuy;h  cttntinued  had  weather,  fotjs.and  ^ales. 
On  .June  22,  the  thirtieth  day  since  leaving  the  ship, —  the 
f(H)d  supply  remaining;  was  reduced  to  about  fifty  biscuits, 
ten  and  a  half  tablets  of  compressed  lentils,  about  four  poimds 
of  i)emmican,  enough  cofTee  for  twice,  six  whole  rounds,  or 
seventy-two  rations,  of  doji^-food,  atid  a  half  ^tallon  of  petro- 
leum. After  a  (h'lay  of  six  days  by  the  inclement  weather 
and  a  slow  and  difficult  proj^ess  to  the  top  of  LetTert  ( Jlacier, 
it  was  with  joy  that  a  relief  party  from  the  shij)  w(>re  met 
with,  and  "the  following  day  we  drove  down  I.etTert  (Jla<'ier, 
on  splendid  snow,  and  reached  the  From  on  Sunday.  July  2, 
at  five  in  the  morning." 

On  August  t,  the  conditions  Ix'ins  more  favoural)le  than 
heretofore,  (^aptain  Sverdrup  endeavoured  to  navigate  tlio 
From  through  Kane  Basin.  In  Payer  Harbor  an  American 
steamer  was  sighted,  going  northeast.  To  the  joy  of  all,  the 
steamer  signalled  slie  had  letters  on  boanl  for  the  Nor- 
wegians. 

The  attempt  to  penetrate  Kane  Basin  was  unsuccessful; 
th(>  From  was  forc(>d  l)ack  to  Fouike  Fjord,  a  short  distance 
from  (me  of  Peary's  ships.  Captain  Bart  let  t.  Dr.  Diedrick, 
and  one  or  two  other  members  of  the  expedition  exchanged 
courtesies  with  the  Norwegians.  Mr.  Bridginau  and  Profes- 
.sor  Libbey  came  al)oard  the  Fram. 

It  was  learned  that  the  jnail  Imuight  north  had  been  left 
at  Payer  Harbor.  The  Fram  endeavoured  to  get  it,  but  the 
impenetral)le  pack  prev(>nt(Ml,  and  after  the  most  desperate 
cfTorts  they  gave  up  in  despair.     It  wa.s  at  tliis  juiicturc,  after 


sLiK.yriric  onsEiiVATioys 


Ul 


the  uhiuulonincnt  of  the  plan  to  tnu'c  the  nortlu-ru  cxtninily 
of  (IrcfiilaiKl,  tliiit  Svcnlrup  transfciTcd  his  luisc  to  tlic  fiords 
of  the  north  (-(uist  of  Joiu's  Sound.  Siriirinji;  no  less  than 
thirty-tlircc  wahiis  for  doK-food,  the  Frdin  cstaljHshc'd  the 
second  winter  (|uurtcrs  at  Havncfjord  in  •Mj='  29'  X.,  8-1°  2.")'  W. 
(iainc  and  seals  were  found  in  plenty  during  I  lie  autumn, 
also  musk-oxen,  hares,  and  reindeer.  Most  successful  scien- 
tific researches  were  i)romotefl,  sledj^ing  parties  continued 
explorations,  and  the  only  event  to  mar  a  happy  autunm 
was  the  death  of  Hraskerud.  He  had  luid  a  very  had  cold, 
was  ill  a  fortni<j;ht  with  a  cough  and  had  great  difficulty  in 
ItreathinR,  but  had  sufTorod  no  pain  ;  there  was  no  doct(»r.  and 
nothing  could  he  done  to  relieve  him  ;  he  had  kept  his  bed  the 
last  thre(!  day.s  of  his  illness,  and  no  one  dreamed  the  end  wa.s 
.so  near. 

Prei)arations  for  the  "grand  sledge  journey"  of  the  spring 
kept  the  m(>n  busy  during  the  winter  and  early  in  the  .M-ason 
Isaclis(>n,  Hay,  Schei,  and  Stolz,  each  man  with  a  full  load, 
went  to  examine  the  outlying  depots  placed  the  |)revious  fall. 
At  Rjorneborg,  the  ravages  of  bears  had  caused  loss  of  food 
and  damaged  equiimient,  and  this  serious  menace  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  future  journeys  decided  Cajitain  Sverdrup  to  place 
a  watchman  at  this  lonely  and  isolated  spot.  Bay,  th(> 
zo()logist,  volunteered  for  the  duty  and  was  appointed  "Com- 
mandant of  Rjorneborg." 

"On  March  7,"  writes  Sv(>rdrup,  "  Fosheim  and  I  started 
west  in  company  with  the  newly  appointeil  commandant. 
A  little  after  tw(>lve  tl;e  following  day  we  arrived  at  the  boat- 
liouse.  .  .  .  After  finishing  our  work  we  had  dinner,  which 
was  OS  .sustaining  as  it  was  splendid,  and  consisted  of  boiled 
lieef,  .sausage,  soup,  and  green  i^eas.  After  dinner  we  had 
drams  and  cotTee,  and  after  supper  grog.  Early  next  morning, 
and  on  good  ice,  we  drove  on,  running  l)y  the  side  of  the  loads 
nearly   tin    whole   day   to   iucnuso   tiic   pace.     We   reached 


442 


THE  (illEXT    WHITE  NOIiTH 


N  N 


H.i()m("lK>rg  in  tho  oveniiiK,  where  we  found  our  new  depot 
in  ffood  cnlcr. 

"Next  day  we  .sot  to  work  on  the  erection  of  the  Com- 
mandant's rcsidenc(>.  We  huilt  a  very  respeetal  .>  house. 
.  .  .  Like  other  residences  of  the  kind,  'Hjornehorg'  must 
liave  its  fiafi.  wo  thought,  and  as  we  were  in  jiosscssion  of  a 
fiaiistaff,  which,  considering;  our  circumstances,  was  irre- 
proachai)le,  we  secured  it  to  th<>  roof,  and  ran  up  a  17th 
ot  May  flag.  Hut  our  ( 'onunandant  was  econon)ical,  and 
would  only  use  it  on  occasions  of  especial  ceremony. 

"Here  Hay  lived,  al)solutcly  alone,  for  three  mouths,  and 
during  the  first  part  of  the  time  without  so  much  as  a  living 
heiufi  for  company  ;  afterwards  he  had  a  garrison  consisting 
of  a  whole  watch-dog.  During  all  this  long  period  I  never 
saw  him  out  of  spirits." 

The  following  day,  Sverdrup  and  Forheim  made  an  exami- 
nation of  the  ice,  which  in  th(>  fiords  was  rugge.l  and  hum- 
mocky.  Tpim  the  return  to  the  .ship  it  was  d(>cided  that 
Hanma.m,  leading  th(>  supporting  partv,  .should  leave  the  .ship 
Saturday,  Man-h  17,  with  full  loads,  "with  Hjornehorg  as 
their  (lest  mat  ion  ;  returning  (Ik  nee  to  the  hoat-hou.se  to  fetch 
provisions  and  dog-food,  which  were  to  he  u.sed  on  the  ap- 
proaching journeys  westward." 

For  th(>se  journeys,  [sachsen  and  Ha.ssel  were  to  make  one 

party,  Fo.shcini    an.l    Sv(Tdrup  the  .second.  Schei  and  Peder 

the  third.     .All  were  to  meet  at   Hjornehorg  on  March  21, 

later  to  .separate  and  journey  in  .lifTcrent  directions. 

The  following  rations  were  allotted  to  the  different  partie.s :  — 

Hanm.-mn  and  his  men,  240  days'  rations,  ahout  o-'iO  p<mnds 
Isachsen  and  FIas.si.l  .  l()()  ,l;iys'  rations,  ahout  220  pounds. 
Sverdrup  and  Foshcim,  1(K)  days'  rations,  about  200  pounds 
Schei  ami  IVder  .  .  .  SO  days'  rations,  about  175  povmds. 
^'^y *J0  days'  rations,  about  200  i>ounds. 


8LED(iE  JOVILWEYS 


443 


Ttu  Oroat  Expedition,"  upon  which  so  much  thought  and 
fare  ,  ,  l«-cn  cxpcnchMl,  was  muly  to  start,  March  20,  KMX). 
"The  weather  was  l)eautiful,"  writes  Sverdrup,  "and  wo  drove 
out  tlirough  the  sound,  east  of  Skreia,  at  a  smart  pace,  taking, 
when  south  of  it,  a  line  tUrect  for  South  Cape." 

On  this  journey  in  which  Sverdrup  and  l-osheim  traced  the 
west  sliore  of  Ellesmere  Land  to  80°  50'  N.,  a  sericjus,  yet 
anuising,  incich-nt  occurred.  "  At  certain  places  on  our  way," 
writes  Sverdrup,  "we  came  across  huge  rocks,  some  of  which 
were  as  big  as  a  cottage,  and  round  them  the  snow  had  drifted 
to  such  a  heigfit  that  we  could  only  just  see  the  top.  When 
we  came  nearer,  we  found  that,  as  a  rule,  the  wind  had  hol- 
lowed out  a  large  empty  space  between  the  drift,  and  we  were 
often  met  by  a  yawning  jntfall  twelve  to  eighteen  feet  in  depth. 
...  I  should  mention  that  we  were  obliged  to  drive  above 
the  rocks,  as  below  was  the  open  sea.  ...  It  once  hap- 
pened that,  just  as  we  were  passing  a  rock  of  this  kind,  a  gap 
occurred  between  my  sledge  and  the  one  following  it.  As 
soon  as  I  became  aware  of  this,  I  pulled  up  ;  but  almost  before 
I  knew  what  was  taking  place,  the  dogs  had  made  their  usual 
frantic  ruslv  to  catch  up,  and  the  sledge,  men,  and  team  were 
precipitated  into  the  hole  twelve  feet  below.  A  moment 
afterwards,  before  anything  could  be  done  to  prevent  it,  the 
next  sledge  came  tearing  up  and  fell  into  the  hole,  and  on  the 
heels  of  number  two  came  a  third,  which  followed  their  ex- 
ample. ...  In  the  grave  lay  pell-mell  three  men,  eighteen 
dogs,  and  three  sledges  with  their  loads,  and  the  snow  was 
flying  up  from  it  in  clouds.  Here  and  there  a  sledge  runner, 
or  a  s(>alskin  strap,  was  sticking  out.  Th(>n  I  saw  one  of  the 
men  crawling  out  of  the  medley  and  pulling  himself  together, 
then  another,  and  another.  Thank  (^.od.  they  were  all  alive  ! 
And  the  dogs?  They  were  lying  in  a  black  heap,  one  team 
on  top  of  the  other,  kicking,  howling,  and  fighting,  till  we  could 
hardly  hear  the  men's  voices  for  their  noise,  so,  apparently. 


H 


444 


THE  (iUEAT    WHITE  XOIiTlI 


in! 


H 


,  ! 


1 


they,  too,  were  alivo.  As  soon  :is  we  hud  huulcd  thoni  all  up. 
we  set  to  work  to  shovel  part  of  the  drift  away  so  that  we  could 
dras  up  the  loads.  The  first  slcdfrc,  which,  after  much  toil, 
we  succeeded  in  l)rinJ^in^'  up,  strange  to  .say.  was  whole,  nor 
was  there  anythiiif:;  wron^  with  number  two,  while  number 
three  was  as  intact  as  the  two  ionner.  The  very  astonishinj? 
result  of  this  (lijrht  through  the  air  was,  therefore,  that  not  a 
limb,  Mor  a  lashinft,  nor  bit  of  wood  was  broken." 

While  the  travellers  were  in  the  field  pursuing  their  peril- 
ous and  excitinfj;  adventures,  the  Cojumandant  at  Bjorneborjj; 
was  leadinj:;  a  lonely  and  monotonous  life  await  in-:;  his  chance 
to  aimihilute  maraudiiifv  Bruins.  His  first  call  to  arms  came 
.soon  after  Captain  Sverdrup's  departure.  Late  one  night. 
whil(>  half  asleep,  the  Commandant,  at  that  time  without  a 
garrison,  thought  he  heard  a  faint  .sound  in  the  depot.  "I 
only  turned  round  in  the  bag,"  he  says,  "and  inwanlly  cursed 
Hassel's  dogs,  which  were  loo.se  again  and  ran.sacking  the 
depot.  I  was  on  the  point  of  falling  asleep  once  more,  when 
it  began  to  dawn  on  me  that  my  rea.soning  had  been  wrong, 
for  there  were  no  dogs  witliin  many  miles,  and  therewith  I 
heard  a  crash,  which  seemed  to  make  the  earth  tremble. 
A  moment  later  I  was  out  of  the  bag,  had  dragged  my  gun 
from  its  cov(>r,  and  cocked  it,  for  it  suddenly  occurred  to  mt? 
that  my  guest  was  a  serious  one.  The  first  thing  I  did  was 
to  light  the  lamp,  after  whicli  I  Ix'gan  to  move  away  .some 
tins  I  had  put  in  front  of  the  door,  that  night  for  the  first  time, 
to  keep  it  in  place.  The  .sounds  still  continued  at  the  depot, 
but,  in  moving  the  la.st  tin,  I  happened  to  make  a  .slight  noi.so, 
and  then  everything  became  as  .still  as  death.  I  raised  the 
door  and  crept  out.  It  was  one  o'clock  (I  had  looked  at  my 
watch  when  I  lit  the  lamp),  and  much  darker  than  was  pleas- 
ant for  the  work  li;'for(»  me. 

"The  bear,  meanwhile,  had  made  it.self  (juite  at  home.  In 
order  to  get   at   one  of  the  blubber-ca.ses,  it  had  thrust  the 


('iiiirlisi/  ,,t  Ciiiistdhli  mill  Cn..  l.iiniliiii,  ami  A'.  /'.  Oiil/aii  inul  Cn. 
l{(p\i.r)  .\\n  \i)sK\ 


SLKIKIE  JOIRSEYS 


445 


empty  \m\vs  out  of  its  way,  and  had  thrown  down  one  of  the 
do<j;-f<M)d  boxes  which  liad  been  placed  on  the  cases  of  bhibber. 
The  marks  of  all  its  claws  were  clearly  visil)le  in  the  tin.  The 
other  box  was  oi)en,  and  the  bear  had  tasted  a  couple  of  rations, 
but  had  evidently  not  found  them  to  his  liking,  for  he  had  spat 
them  out  n^iim  into  the  box.  It  had  then  very  carefully 
lifted  the  tin  down  on  to  the  snow,  and  then  —  also  very  care- 
fully—  raised  the  lid  of  the  l)lul)ber  box.  Rut  just  as  it 
was  j^oins  to  i)e<fin  its  meal,  it  had  evidently  heard  my  chitter 
inside  the  hut,  and  had  sat  down  to  listen,  with  its  right  paw 
clasping  the  edge  of  the  box.  It  was  in  this  position  at  any 
rate  that  I  found  it,  when  I  raised  myself  up,  after  creeping 
out.  The  bear  was  about  fifteen  yards  away  from  me,  and 
as  soon  as  it  saw  me  rose,  large,  and  fat  and  hissing;  it  made 
the  open  tin  rattle  as  it  put  its  left  paw  down  on  it.  It  looked 
just  as  if  it  were  thumping  tJie  table,  to  show  what  a  fine  fellow 
it  was,  and  reminded  me  of  one  of  my  friends  on  board  — 
so  much  so  that  I  half  unwittingly  addressed  it  in  the  way 
usual  between  us  ;  a  manner,  howev'er,  hardly  fit  for  publica- 
tion. Whether  the  bear  felt  otTended  at  this  I  know  not,  but 
certain  it  is  that  it  got  up  and  walked,  growling,  with  long 
measured  steps  round  the  depot.  I  aimed,  and  shot  it  in  the 
shoulder;  I  could  just  discern  the  sights  through  the  darkness." 
"The  bear  uttered  such  a  loud  growl,"  continues  the 
Commandant,  "that  it  seemed  to  make  the  stillness  ring. 
The  tire  from  my  gun  had  dazzled  me,  and  I  could  no  longer 
see  the  sights,  and  the  bear  itself  I  only  saw  as  a  shapel(>s.s 
mass,  which  seemed  to  have  grown  most  incredibly  larger. 
The  other  ])arrel,  the  small-shot  barrel,  whicii  was  loach'd  with  a 
large  ball,  I  fired  straight  into  the  mass  without  going  through 
any  such  formality  as  aiming.  Then  I  ma(h'  a  well-ordered 
retreat  behind  the  hut,  and  put  in  some  fresh  cartridges.  I 
do  not  much  believe  in  hurrying.  I)ut  I  did  this  in  less  time 
than  it  takes  to  tell.     To  n)y  great  astonishment  I  did  not  sec 


'i 

i 

i 


\' 


^i 


Ht; 


TIIH  r.UKAr   WHITE   SOUTH 


anyflnriK  —  not  tli.-it  I  w.-iiitcd  to  of  my  ••nciny  (hiring  this 
operation,  luit  a>  soon  as  I  was  ready,  1  \n%xi\\  to  peer  alunit 
alter  it.  thoiiiili  at  first  without  siieeess.  At  hist,  on  heiidiiiH 
down,  I  eaiiiiht  >iiiht  of  a  iar^e  dark  ol).iect  a  short  distance' 
away,  al  a  spot  wheic  I  knew  there  was  no  rock,  —  this,  of 
course,  mu-l  lie  tlieltear,  l)Ut  whether  dead  or  alive  it  was  iin- 
po^^il.lr  to  lell.  I  therefore  advaiii-ed  with  nuich  caution, 
and  find  a  -hot  at  what  I  supi)osed  to  !)e  its  head.  On  closer 
evMiiiin  Moll  it  prove<l  to  he  the  other  end  (»f  the  hear  I  had 
honiliardt  <l  .  I'Ut  a>  a  /oolo.^ist  I,  of  coiu'se,  knew  that  the 
i„;i.l  ill  I'rsiis  nini-itiiini^  is,  as  a  rule,  exactly  at  the  opposite 
e\tirinity  to  the  after-<'nd  <»f  the  animal,  antl  at  last  really 
>ucce(d<d  in  tiivinu  it  >otne  lead  in  the  ri'j;ht  i)lace.  The  hear 
had.  IK*  douht,  tieen  dead  for  some  time,  hut  (liscn>tion  i.s 
fli''  hetli  r  part  of  wdour.  I  then  realize(l  that  T  had  killi-<l 
my  first   near;    to  -ay  that   I  was  proud  is  nowhere  near  the 

nsark." 

The  Conini.iiidaiit  had  other  vi>its  from  hears  while  leadinii; 
•he  h.rmitV  life  at  ['fji^rnehorir,  and  the  killinji  of  a  s(>al  was 
al~o  added  to  his  aehii  \  eiiieiil>.  On  .Iun<-  1.  however,  he  left 
the  •  !-tle  where  he  hail  lived  alone  h>r  almost  a  (piarter 
■ar.  -"It  was  not  without  a  h'elint:  of  .sadness,"  lu; 
"that  I  >aw  the  last  v;lim]ise  of  the  spot  as  we  rouiuled 
■p  l.lutV-  of  Storinkai).  for,  althoiifj;h  my  life  there  had 
h  .Htary  and  monotoi\ous  enoujih,    -  e.xcept  on  occasions 

,  ,1  had  hei'ii  extremely  lively,  —  I  felt  I  was  leaving;  a 
I  .•  whire  I  knew  every  ston(«  and  every  irrejrularity  of  the; 
eroiind  a  place  I  had  known  in  calm  and  the  }>;lory  of  sun- 
shine, as  well  :i<  durinti  the  ravins  of  the  storms.  .\nd  then, 
too.  I  ha<l  a  h'elinii  as  if  peace  and  (luietness  wore  at  an  end, 
for  east  of  the  Stornikap  lie'.ian  for  me  the  jireat  husy  world, 
which  for  so  liMic;  now  I  had  almost  h)rj:otten." 

A  serious  fire  occurred  on  hoard  the  From,  May  27,  1900. 
A  -park  from  the  galley  falling'  ui)on  the  winter  awninj^,  was 


of  a 
\vr" 
th. 


ItELEASt:   FlKtSl    TIIK  KK 


441 


supposed  to  lie  tin-  ctnisc  of  the  coiiliaKnilioii.  The  loss  of 
IKiratiiii-prcpan'tl  kayaks,  a  (luaiitily  ot'  skis,  and  wood  and 
other  valualdes  were  coiisuiued,  l»iit  the  chiel'  danger,  wliich 
threatened  the  safety  of  the  ship  and  all  on  board,  was  the 
l)roxiniity  of  tiie  fire  to  an  iron  tank  eontaininj;  fifty  naUons 
of  spirit;  so  }rr(>at  was  the  lieat  of  the  fire  that,  though  the  tank 
held,  the  tinninij;  on  the  ontside  was  found  melted. 

On  Aufiust  1>,  after  a  sununer  of  successful  research,  the 
conditions  heinjf  favourable.  Captain  Sverdrup  decided  to 
l)ush  westward  with  the  Frani.  "Through  the  ice-free  sound 
all  went  well,"  he  writes;  "but  farther  out,  east  of  the  rocks, 
we  entered  the  ice,  and  lay  there  rannuiny;  the  whole  day  lon^. 
Whenever  we  got  a  chance  we  forged  on  full  sjx'cd  ahead; 
and  when  perforc(>  we  came  to  a  standstill,  we  backed  to  get 
an  impetus,  and  gave  another  ram."  Skirting  the  coast,  the 
Fniin  ])ushe(l  her  difficult  course  to  within  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  from  North  Devon,  where  on  Sei)tember  3,  !!)()(),  the  ship 
was  made  ready  for  her  third  winter  in  tiie  Arctic.  On  the 
loth,  a  storm  disrupted  the  i)ack,  and  (piick  action  on  the  |)art 
of  officers  and  men  was  reciuinnl  to  prepare  the  Fntin  for  the 
opening  of  the  ice  which  sudilenly  released  her.  As  quickly 
us  j)()ssii)le  she  was  bearing  toward  Cardigan  Strait,  and 
steered  througii  in  easy  waters,  finally  anchoring  in  the  good 
winter  harbour  of  (laasefjord.  The  land  in  the  \icinity  of 
this  harbour  was  rich  in  game,  fauna,  and  interesting  fossils. 

Captain  Sverdru|)  (lescril)es  a  curious  experience  while  out 
hunting.  In  a  small  valley  he  discovered  countless  hare- 
tracks,  which  crossed  and  recross(Ml  one  ant)ther  in  every 
direction,  the  snow  in  places  having  been  trodden  in  hard  runs. 
Calling  his  tel(>scope  to  his  aid,  he  made  out  what  he  had  mis- 
takiMi  for  a  group  of  white  stones  a  short  distance  otf.  to  be  a 
grouj)  of  .\rctic  hares,  thirty-one  in  number,  evidently  at 
rest,  with  one  plainly  acting  as  sentinel. 

Although  Sverdrup  approached  witli  great   caution,   the 


us 


rHK  UHKAT    WlllTt:   SOUTH 


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M 


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i 


i 

;     .1 


i| 


liiiH'  on  ^suanl  suddenly  took  alarm  and,  starling  up.  ran  wildly 
round  Imt  flock.  stiikin«  Iut  land  U%s  on  tlir  jiiound  till  it 
fairly  nsound..!,  then  M-ttiuK  olT  at  a  l.risk  pace  over  the 
ridnc  of  a  hill,  the  others  folK.winj;  in  a  lonj;  line  and  luvsently 

disappearing. 

At  a  short  distanee  two  others,  evidently  not  helonsnis 
to  the  «»ther  lot,  remained  l.y  themselves.  "1  thou>:;ht," 
writes  Sverdni|).  "it  would  he  interestinji  to  go  across  to  them 
if  possil)le,  and  see  what  they  were  ahout.  hut  r.'alized  I  nnist 
make  use  of  other  taeties  if  I  would  approach  near  them. 
Tliis.  I  thoujjiht.  was  a  fitting  m<.ment  to  impersonate  a  rein- 
d.rr.  or  some  (.ther  kind  of  hiji  tiame,  and  I  made  a  valiant 
attempt  to  simulate  their  j^raziiiK  movements  backwards  and 
forwards  on  'he  sward.  .  .  .  My  tactics  weiv  so  successful 
that,  in  the  end,  I  was  not  nnich  more  than  two  or  three  yards 
away  from  them.  It  was  (luite  touchinji  to  see  these  ^rcat 
imuicent  Arcti<-  hares  sitting  only  a  few  i)a<-es  olT.  .luietly 
jruawinji  roots.  The  only  notice  they  vouchsafed  ni(>  was 
an  occasional  snitT  in  my  direction.  .  .  . 

"  I  stayed  lon«  fraternizing  with  the  hares  down  on  the  prass, 
and  at  last  we  tlid  not  mitid  each  other  in  the  very  least. 
They  went  on  with  their  occupations  (piite  unconcerne<lly ;  1 
with  min(>.  I  f<"lt  something  like  .\dain  in  Paradise  before 
I'A-e  came,  and  all  that  about  the  serpent  hapi)ened." 

Huntiii}!;  exi)e<litions  and  autunmal  >led<j;e  joinneys  at  an 
end,  the  winter  set  in  with  i)lenty  of  work  to  do  for  every 
on(>'on  board  the  rmm.  The  smithy  was  called  upon  for 
endless  lab.)ur:  the  takiufiof  observations  and  the  many  other 
dailv  occupaticms  cavised  the  lon.n  Antic  ninht  to  pass  with 
less"  monotcmv  and  <lepn'ssion.  A  visitation  from  wohvs 
added  (>xcitement  to  the  wint(«r,  and  various  methods  were 
tried  for  their  cajjture. 

The  explorations  <.f   1<>()1   ])roved   Heiberf^   Land  to  be  an 
island,  separated  by  Ileureka  Strait  :   thi.^  was  explored  as  far 


:i  'J 

1 

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"/■'/M.V.s"    f^KCOM)    I'uLMi   K.\l'i:hllln.\ 


441) 


an  its  junction  with  Crccly  Fjonl,  l)iit  another  year  rcmaincHl 
before  the  Norwegian  stanchird  was  carried  to  M'  M  N., 
92"  W.,  where  it  was  raised,  May  i:{,  l'.K)2,  and  the  onthne  of 
coast  conjpleted  to  Aldrich's  fartliest. 

Having  made  oni'  of  the  most  hrilUant  records  in  Arctic 
history,  the  memlxTs  of  the /''/vj/z/'n  s«'cond  pohir  expeihtiun 
turneil  toward  their  native  hmd,  and  on  An^ust  (».  llXLMh*' 
Fram  l«')j;an  her  triumphant  retreat  from  the  Cireat  White 
North. 

"Homeward  !  What  a  stran^!;e  rin^  in  the  simple  word  !" 
cries  Captain  Sverdrup.  "On  our  loii};  and  hilH)ri()iis  .->lt  d^:;e 
journeys  we  had  many  a  time  used  it  when  we  tliou^^ht  of  the 
Frntn,  and  a  koo<1  home  the  Fnnn  had  Iteen  these  four  years, 
warm  and  strong  and  well  provi(h'd.  hut  that  was  in  another 
way.  Now  the  lonninu  for  home  coursed  Ihroufih  our  Itlood, 
and  all  the  yoarnins,  which  we  had  thrust  aside  during  tliesi? 
long  years,  broke  loose,  rang  in  our  ears,  and  made  our  liearts 
heat  fa.ster.  Half-forgotten  memories  and  dawning  hopes 
came  hack  again.  A  sea  of  thoughts  streamed  in  on  us  and 
tied  our  tongues  in  the  midst  of  the  joy  at  going  home.  It 
was  a  moment  full  of  promise  when  we  knew  that  we  W(Te 
looking  for  the  la.st  time  on  tliese  mountains  and  fiords,  which 
for  so  long  had  Inrn  the  object  and  scene  of  our  endeavor." 

September  26,  the  Fram  reached  Christiansand,  an<l  two 
days  later  she  dropped  anchor  for  a  few  hours  at  Lauggrun<len. 
off  Horten.  (^uite  a  fleet  of  steamers  and  sailing-i)oats 
escorted  her  from  Stavanger  to  Christiania,  wiiich  was 
reached  "on  a  beautiful  Sunday  which  recalled  to  us  the  day, 
four  years  since,  when  we  hud  gon(>  the  other  way."  .  .  . 
"So  the  Frnm's  second  polar  expedition  was  at  an  end," 
concludes  Captain  Sverdrup.  "An  api)roximate  area  of  one 
hundred  thousand  scpiare  mil(>s  had  been  ex))lored.  and,  in 
the  name  of  the  Norwegian  King,  taken  possession  of.  If  the 
memlx'rs  of  the  expedition  have  been  able  to    do  anythimj, 


PI 


MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TEST   CHART 

1/  NSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2) 


1.0 

1-  |||il      ||2.5 

■   IM      112.2 

I:  m     ,2-0 

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L. 

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^  ^PPLJEmiU^^GE_lnc 

^r.  ''i^J    fust    M.on    St'eel 

r^  "r,,"'"^';   ■"•    •'^"-         '4609       USA 

^^  f  ■    -82  -   0300  -  Phor? 

^^  -  ;.,,    288  -  =989  -  Fax 


450 


THE  UllEAT    W  HUE  SOUTH 


?     I 


this  is  owing  in  the  first  iiistfincc  to  tlic  sacrifices  of  j^cncrous 
N'or\vcj;;ians  ;  tliut  \vc  iiiivc  not  ilonc  more  is,  ut  any  rutc, 
not  owiiifi  to  want  of  will." 

The  successful  navigation  of  the  long-sought  Northwest 
Passage  by  C"ai)tain  Roald  Ajnumlsen  has  been  one  of  ihe 
stirring  events  of  the  early  twentieth  century.  Of  this  hardy 
Norsenian,  and  what  he  acconii)lishe(l,  Mr.  Alger  gives  an 
interesting  account  in  l'idiann\s  Miujazhtc:  — 

"  Born  July  K),  1S72,  at  Borge,  in  the  district  of  Sniaaleneiie, 
southern  Norway,  he  conies  from  an  old  sea-faring  family, 
and  has  had  nmch  exi)erience  as  a  sailor.  As  an  ofHcer  he 
took  piirt  in  the  Belgian  f^outli  Pole  exix'dition  of  1897,  on 
board  the  lichjiai,  and  it  was  down  in  the  Antarctic  regions 
that  he  first  i)lanned  his  famous  Arctic  voyage.  On  the 
whaler,  Gjoa,  a  ship  of  only  4G  tons,  he  left  Christiania  in 
May,  1903,  with  a  crew  of  sev(>n  men  ;  and  three  years  later, 
in  the  sunnner  of  19()(),  the  news  was  spread  over  the  world 
that  ho  had  accomplished  what  no  man  l)efore  him  had  suc- 
ceeded in  doing.  He  had  not  only  sailed  through  the  North- 
west Passage,  but  had  located  the  Magnetic  Pole  and  other- 
wise gathered  much  scientific  information  of  the  greatest 
value  in  regard  to  these  little-known  regions." 

The  Cjon  was  especially  strengthened  and  refitted  through- 
out. She  was  amply  provisioned  for  five  years,  and  her  crew 
most  carefully  selected.  Second  in  connnand  was  Lieutenant 
Godfred  Hansen  of  the  Danish  Navy.  First  mate  Auto  Lund 
of  Tromsoe  had  had  long  years  of  service  in  the  s(>aling  trade. 
Peder  Ristredt,  a  sergeant  in  the  Norwegian  Army,  was  first 
engineer.  Helmer  Hansc^n,  also  an  experienced  seah'r,  a 
good  snow-shoer  and  hunter,  was  second  mate.  Gustav 
Juel.  second  engineer,  was  to  take  part  in  the  magnetic  obser- 
vations, but  he  died  on  the  trip  from  pneumonia,  in  March, 
1900.  Adolf  Linstrom  served  as  cook,  having  served  in  the 
same  capacity  aboard  the  Fram. 


SCIESTIFIC   OllSEHV Alios S 


4r)i 


Siiiliiij:;  :it  niidniKlit,  June  1(),  1903,  from  Cliristiania  Capo 
Farewell,  (ireciiland  was  sij^htcd  five  weeks  later.  Seeuring 
ten  fin(>  (lof2;s  at  (lodhaveti  fnjiii  Herr  DoiiKaad  Jensen,  In- 
spector for  North  (ireenland,  tliey  entered  Melville  Bay 
Ausnst  <S.  On  Aujj;ust  lo,  they  eanie  in  sifrlit  of  Dalryniple 
Kock;  at  this  point  two  Scotch  whaling  cajitains  —  Milne 
and  Adams —  had  deposited  certain  stores  for  Amundsen. 
The  (ijon  was  unexix-ctedly  mot  in  kayaks  by  members  of 
the  Danish  Literary  Greenland  expedition,  Ilerr  Myliiis 
iM'ik.sen  and  Herr  Knut  Uasmussen.  An  (>xchan}j;e  of  ( our- 
tesies  was  followed  hy  the  loadinj^of  the  (Ijon  with  the  pack- 
ages from  Dalrymple  Rock.  Pushing  through  the  lanes,  at 
full  steam,  they  emerged  into  open  water  in  Baffin  Bay,  and 
later  entered  Lancaster  Hound,  anchoring  at  Beechey,  Au- 
gust 22.  On  August  24,  they  nishcd  into  Peel  Sound.  The 
efficiency  of  the  compass  now  ceased,  and  they  wer(>  compelled 
to  navigate  hy  the  stars  whenever  they  appeared  through  the 
fog,  which  prevailed  most  of  the  time.  Passing  along  the 
west  coast  of  Boothia  F(>lix,  they  came  to  grief  by  grounding  on 
September  1  and  were  obliged  to  "lighten  the  ship  l)y  throw- 
ing overboard  the  greater  part  of  the  deck  cargo.  On  Sat- 
urday, September  12,  entered  djoa  Harbor  "  —  a  small  land- 
locked cove  at  the  head  of  Petersen  Bay  (King  William 
Land),  and  hero  they  remained  for  nearly  two  years. 

Immediate  preparations  were  made  for  wint(-ring,  pro- 
visions landed,  ol)servatories  erected,  and  Amundsen  at  once 
began  his  valuable  scientific  observations. 

"In  order  to  ensure  accuracy,"  writes  General  Greely 
in  the  Century,  1007,  "the  magnetic  instruments  were  in- 
stalled in  temporary  wooden  buildings,  built  with  copper  nails, 
and  entirely  free  of  any  iron,  heat,  or  even  light,  except  the 
lamp  behind  the  reflector.  Here  day  and  night,  for  twenty 
months,  were  made  photograph  records,  and  the.se  were  sup- 
plemented by  personal    eye-readings   to    serve  as    needful 


M 


4r)2 


Tin-:  (iUEAT    WUITK   .VO/.'77/ 


M: 


!;  i 


(•li<'ck.s  on  lliost"  photoi^mphicuUy  obtained.     The  ol).s(TV(>rs 
in  tliis  work  were  clothed  entirely  in  deerskin  «r;irnients,  and 
before  euterinj:;  the  building  where  tiie  niaf:;n(Monietres  were 
installed,    earel'uUy    divested    themselves   of   watehes,    keys, 
knives,  and  other  metallic  objects.     The  observations  wcro 
1  lade  in  winter  under  such  conditions  of  cold,  monotony,  and 
darkness  as  to  merit  the  highest  commendation  for  endurance 
and  constancy."     And  he  continues,  "The  value  of  the  con- 
tinuous observations  at   (Jjoa  Harbor  was   largely  increased 
by  similar  obsc'rvations  in  the  fiehl,  which  necessarily  entailed 
severe  exposure  and  conseciueut    hardships  on  the  sledgins 
parties.     In  March,  I'.tOi,  a  jireliminary  journey,  made  for 
th(>  i)urpose  of  estal)lishinf;-  food  depots,  involved  much  suf- 
feriuji;  owiny;  to  excessive  cold,   the   temperature   falling  to 
7r)°  below  zero,  Falu".     The  sledge  journey  to  the  :\Iagnetic 
Pole  itself  was  mad(^  by  Amunds(>n  and   Ristvedt,  starting 
April  2,  1904,  with  t(>n  dogs  and  two  sledges,  much  difficulty 
resulting  from  rough  ice. 

"Five  observation  stations  wore  occupied  between  Gjoa 
Harbor  and  Tasmania  Islands,  wliich  are  about  eighty  miles 
directly  north  of  Ross's  magnetic  pole.  This  field  work 
occupied  about  two  months,  being  summarily  finished  at  the 
end  of  May,  owing  to  loss  of  food  through  the  thieving 
Itclmachtorviks  of  eastern  Boothia.  While  no  definite 
r(>sult  of  the  fi(>ld  observations  can  yet  be  given,  it  is  not 
thought  that  there  has  been  any  decided  change  from  the 
magnetic  conditions  ol)served  by  Ross  in  1831,  when  the  pole 
of  declination  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cape  Adelaide, 
70"  O.V  X.,  9(i°  44'  W." 

On  April  1,  100."),  Lieutenant  Hansen  and  Ristvedt,  with 
two  sledges,  twelve  dogs,  and  provisions  for  three  months, 
visited  Victoria,  and  aft(>r  charting  half  of  the  missing  coast- 
line returneil  .lune  21. 

Neighbour-,    wesc   not  laeldng   these    isolated  white   men. 


ArarsT  14-  i'mo 


453 


Frequent  visits  from  ICskimos,  and  the  news  of  Aiueiitan  fisher- 
ni(>n  to  the  south,  permitted  of  letters  heiu^  forwardeil  l>y 
Eskimos. 

On  August  14,  1!)0(),  all  eonditions  heiiig  favourable,  the 
Gjoa  weighed  aiiehor  and  jjroceeded  westwaitl  in  oimmi  water, 
and  within  a  few  hours  had  suceessfully  i)assed  through  Kttu 
Sound,  the  narrowest  i)laee  in  the  Northwest  Passage,  a  tor- 
tuous channel  between  Etta  Island  and  the  mainland.  The 
following  day  they  threaded  their  way  through  a  grouj)  of 
newly  discovered  islands  in  shallows  that  constantly  neces- 
sitated the  use  of  the  lead. 

A  heavy  pack  was  encountered  in  \'ictoria  Strait,  t)ut  they 
continued  on  their  way  "through  the  strait  between  Victoria 
Laml  and  the  mainland,"  thence  through  "Dease  Strait  and 
C'oronation  Gulf  out  into  Dolphin  and  Union  straits,  and  on 
the  morning  of  August  25  sighted  Nelson  Head  —  a  tall  and 
im))osing  headland." 

Having  successfully  passed  from  the  Atlantic  side  into 
the  Pacific  side,  the  Gjoa  had  the  good  fortune  to  speak  on 
the  same  day  the  American  whaling  schooner,  Cluirles  Harts- 
son,  from  San  Francisco.  A  delay  of  twenty-four  hours  was 
caused  by  the  ice  off  Cape  Bathurst.  Near  Bail(\v  Island, 
several  beset  whalers  were  encountered,  and  the  barks 
Alexander  and  Bowhead  were  sighted  off  Pullen  Island. 

Cape  Sabine  was  reached  September  2  —  but  i)rogress 
was  only  made  to  King  Point,  about  thirty-five  miles  east  of 
Herschel  Island,  where  the  Gjoa  was  forced  to  put  in  another 
Arctic  winter. 

On  October  13,  Amundsen,  with  a  sledge  and  five  dogs,  made 
a  journey  of  five  months'  duration,  covering  a  distance  of 
fifteen  hundred  miles  to  Eagle  City,  Alaska.  This  included  a 
two  months'  sojourn  in  Eagle  City,  when  all  despatches  were 
forwarded,  and  mails  received,  for  himself  and  other  members 
of  the  expedition. 


:l 


4o4 


•////•;   GliKAT    Willi  K  SOUTH 


! 


The  following  August,  th<>  (■'joa  was  freed,  but  on  the  19th 
of  tliat  month  she  received  :i  l):id  injury  to  her  i)roi)eller  by 
<ir()un(Uii,i>-  on  :i  pieee  of  ice,  so  eontinued  her  journey  entirely 
uiuh'r  s;iil.  She  arrived  at  San  Fnineisco,  October  11),  with  a 
rich  carjio  of  ethno}i;rapliical,  zo()loj>;ical.  and  l)otanical  speci- 
mens, and  many  furs  and  ciu-ios.  These  were  freif;ht(>d  to 
Christiania,  the  (Ijon  taken  cliarjie  of  by  Admiral  Lyons, 
commandant  of  the  Mare  Island  Xavy-yard,  and  Amimdson 
and  his  companions  started  by  rail  for  home. 


t 


|t   ! 


::  i 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

Rohort  !•:.  Peary. —The  man. —First  visit  to  the  Arctic,  1886.— 
Other  jounicys,  LS<)1.  —  IndepiiHleiice  Bay,  (keeiilaiul.  —  Dis- 
covers Melville  Land  and  lleilprin  Land.  —  Subsequent  journeys, 
18*}:3-lS9o.  —  Discoverv  of  famous  "  Iron  Mountain."  —  Summer 
voyages  18'»()-1897.  —  North  Pole  journey  of  lSVt8.  —  Peary  seri- 
ously disabled  by  frost-bites.  —  Polar  expeilition  in  S.  S.  RooscvtU, 
1905-lUUG.  —  Final  dash  for  the  Pole,  1908. 

For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  name  of  Robert 
Edwin  Peary  has  been  closely  identified  with  Arctic  work. 
No  man  in  the  liistory  of  exploration  has  renewed  his  attacks 
upon  the  impassable  barriers  of  the  Great  White  North  with 
such  perseverance,  endurance,  and  determination.  Again 
and  again  in  the  face  of  disappointments,  bodily  disablements, 
failures,  and  discouragements  that  would  have  blasted  the 
most  sanguine  hopes  of  the  average  man,  he  has  persisted 
in  his  endeavours,  returned  to  the  field  of  action,  fought  gal- 
lantly the  dislieartening  fight,  come  back  to  receive  the 
polite  indifTerence  or  enthusiastic  praise  of  his  countrymen, 
turned  his  energies  to  raising  the  necessary  funds  to  renew 
his  enterin-ise,  and  when  this  was  done,  faced  to  the  north 
and  passed  again  beyond  the  Arctic  Circle. 

He  is  typically  American,  tall,  lean.  wiry,  muscular,  keen- 
eyed,  alert,  positive,  and  possessed  of  that  indomitable  will 
which  conquers  or  dii^s.  Born  in  Cresson.  Pennsylvania, 
May  0,  1850,  he  had  early  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  father, 
and  his  widowed  mother,  with  her  boy  of  three,  returned  to 
her  relatives  and  fri(>nds  in  New  England  and  made  her  home 
in  Portland.  Maine.     Here  Peary,  the  lad,  grew  up,  fond  of 


i  <l 


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niH  liUKAT  wiiiTK  yoitiii 


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the  .sou  and  the  Avoods,  loving  tlic  wild  rour  of  the  occmi  us  it 
heat  uiH)n  the  rocky  coast,  or  the  gentle  sunnuer  winds 
whisjiering  uinid  lli<'  northern  pines. 

H(>  loved  to  roiini,  to  explore,  to  find  {ulventure,  and  to  lead 
others  to  it,  and  in  his  schoolboy  days  he  was  noted  for  liis 
athletic  tasti's  and  i)owers  of  enthirance.  At  twenty-one 
years  of  ag(!  he  completed  his  college  life  at  Bowdoin,  gradu- 
ating secontl  in  a  class  of  lifty-one,  and  four  years  later  had 
passed  the  examinations  which  mad(;  him  Civil  Engineer  in 
the  I'nited  Slates  Navy.  l''rom  duty  in  l-'lorida  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Nicaragua  Canal  /one,  where  he  remained  en- 
gaged in  the  Interocean  Ship-eanal  Survey  from  1884  to  I880. 
He  returned  under  government  orders  to  Washington  in 
the  fall  of  that  year,  and  during  a  leisure  hour,  in  an  old  book- 
store, he  accidentally  came  uixni  a  i)aper  on  the  Inland  Ice  of 
C.reenland.  Remembering  the  adventures  of  Dr.  Kane  which 
had  thrilled  him  as  a  boy,  and  reading  the  experiences  of 
Xordenskjold.  Jensen,  and  the  rest.  Penary  felt  he  nuist  know 
for  himself  what  was  the  truth  of  this  great  mysterious  in- 
terior. 

Thus  early  had  the  seed  of  ambition  to  explore  the  land  of 
the  mysterious  north  germinated  in  his  active  mind. 

The  following  year  he  received  permission  from  the  Depart- 
ment for  leave  of  abscMice  to  make  a  reconnoissance  of  the 
Greenland  ice-cap.  east  of  Disco  Bay,  70°  north  latitude. 

Accompanied  by  Christian  Maigaard.  a  Dane,  and  eight 
nativ(>s,  Peary  examincnl  the  coast  and  fiords,  penetrated  the 
inland  ice.  and  visited  among  other  interesting  spots  the 
Tossukatek  Cdacier,  the  base  of  Xoursoak  Peninsula,  and  the 
fossil  l)eds  of  Atanekerdluk.  "Here."  he  says,  "I  found 
fragments  of  trees,  l)lack  petrifactions  with  the  grain  of  the 
wood  and  the  texture  of  the  bark  showing  clearly.  Pieces 
of  sandstone  split  readily  into  sheets.  l)etween  which  were  to 
be  seen  sharp,  clear  imiiressions  of  large  net-veined  leaves, 


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Finsr     VISIT    TO    THE    AllCTKJ 


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every  tiniest  veinlet  uikI  iiiiimte  seriiitum  of  the  e<lj!;i's  dis- 
tiiici  us  the  lines  «)f  ii  steel  enj>;r:ivinji ;  lon^,  slender,  jKUallel- 
vcini'd  leaves  iind  ex(iuisite  feiithery  forms." 

Full  of   enthusiasm  for  further  iidventure  in  the   hind  of 
desolation,  where  the  wild  vivid  poppy  flourishes  in  sheltered 
nooks,  near  eternal  glaciers;    where  a  lifeless  desert  of  per- 
l)etual  snow,  from  live  thousand  to  ten  thousand  feet  ahove 
the  level  of  the  sea,  extends  over  an  urea  of  some  twelve 
hundred   miU's  in   length   and   five    hundred   in   width,  —  a 
glistening  shroud,  —  covering  the  mighty  roeks  of  ages,  the 
buried  sunuuits  id  high  mountains  thousands  of  feet  he'.ovv, 
—  Peary  returne(l  to  the  I'niteil  States  and  in  a  newspaper 
article  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Phihuh'lphia  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences,  which  ottered  to  defray  part  of  the  ex- 
pense of  his  second  expedition. 

Peary  left,  June  0,  1891,  in  the  Kite,  and  with  his  party, 
including  Mrs.  Peary;  Langdon  C.ibson,  ornithologist  aiul 
hunter;  Dr.  Frederick  A.  Cook,  surgeon;  Eivind  Astrup,  a 
Norwegian;  John  M.  Verhoeff.  mineralogist  and  meteorol- 
ogist ;  and  Matthew  Henson,  a  coloured  man,  landed  at  M'Cor- 
mick  Ray  in  August.  An  imfortunate  accident  aboard  the 
Kite,  which  resulte<l  in  a  broken  leg,  caused  Peary  disap- 
pointment and  (h'lay  in  carrying  out  his  autumn  plans. 
However,  "Red  Cliff  House"  was  erected,  communications 
with  the 'natives  established,  and  such  work  carrie(l  on  as 
Pearv's  unfortunate  condition  would  i)ermit.  In  April.  1802, 
P,.ar*v,  being  fullv  restored  to  health,  left  Red  ClifY  House  an<l 
explored  Inglefield  Gulf;  his  next  move  was  to  establish 
caches  of  provisions  to  be  used  on  his  sledge  journey  across 

the  ice-cap.  . 

This  journev  was  undertaken  in  ^lay  :  four  sledges,  to  which 
were  harn(>ssed  sixteen  dogs,  carried  the  provisions  and 
equipment.  A  supporting  party  a(lvanc(>d  with  Peary  to  a 
point  a!)Out  one  hundred  miles  from  ^^C(^rmick  Bay.     The 


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TIIK    liltlUr    WIIITH    SOUTH 


('XjjInnT.  with  one  coiiipuiiioii.Astrup,  proceeded  overt  he  preiit 
ice  lit  iiii  eleviitiunol'  aliout  five  thousand  feet,  :ind  by  .May;{l 
looked  down  into  I'etermaii  Fjord.  "Here,"  says  I'eary, 
''we  were  on  the  ice-lihil'I's  t'oriniiiy;  the  hniit  of  the  ureat  j^lacier 
basin,  just  as  we  hail  lieen  at  llunilioldt,  i>iit  a  trille  le.>s  for- 
tunate here  than  at  Hiui'lutldt.  1  found  it  necessary  to 
dellect  some  ten  tniles  to  tli<'  eastward,  to  .ivoid  the  ine(|uali- 
ties  (»f  the  ylacier  i»a>in,  and  tiie  ji;reat  crevasses  which  cut 
the  ice-lilul'fs  encirclinj^  it." 

Peary's  object  now  was  t«»  make  the  east  coast  of  (ireen- 
hmd,  followinjf  the  ed^c  of  the  ice-cap,  beset  with  crevasses, 
slippery  ice.  hummocks,  drifting  snow  and  fot;<,  .and  tlie  jour- 
ney was  continued  until  .luly  I.  IS'.L',  when  they  reached 
Independence  liay,  SV  M'  north  latitude.  \i\  ascent  of 
\avy  ClilT  revealed  a  mai^niliceiit  panorama  of  ru^;jied, 
majestic,  ice-free  ('(tuntry  to  the  north,  and  the  broa<l  ex- 
pansi'  of  the  ICast  (Jreenland  Ocean. 

Strange  it  seemed  that  in  tliis  remote  country  in  sheltered 
nooks  the  flowers  l)loonied;  the  hum  of  bees,  the  drone  of 
flies.  f<'ll  upon  the  (>ar;  the  snow-bimtinn,  the  sandjjiper,  a 
(Ireenland  falcon,  ;intl  a  i)air  of  ravens  fvn>eted  the  adven- 
turers. Musk-ox  fed  upon  the  patches  of  fireensward,  and 
no  less  than  five  fell  t(j  Peary's  rille  and  sup])lied  men  and  doRs 
with  abundant  meat. 

The  return  journey  back  to  M'Cormick  Bay,  a  distance  of 
some  four  hundred  and  fift\  miles,  was  made  over  the  ice-cap 
in  the  face  of  violent  storms  and  wind,  through  dr'fts  and  foji, 
with  diminished  ])rovisions  and  fuilinji  dojis. 

A  joyful  nicetinu;  with  Professor  IIeil))riu  and  jiarty.  who 
liad  come  north  a  month  before  with  the  Kile,  took  jilace 
on  the  Inland  Ice.  at  the  heail  of  M'Cormick  liay,  and  a 
happy  return  was  made  to  He<l   Cliff  House. 

The  results  of  Peary's  second  voyaj^c  to  the  .\rctic.  embrac- 
ing the  great  twelve-hundred-niile   journey,  iletermined  the 


fi 


mscovHns  if Ki. villi:  la.M) 


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iiortlicrii  cxtctisiuii  jiikI  insiihirity  of  (Irccriliiiid  ;  iiuuh-  the 
discovery  ol'  (lct;icli<Ml  icf-tnM'  l:iii<l-rruiss»'s  of  less  extent  to 
tlie  iiortliwurd.  :iiiil  estublislicil  tlie  rapid  coiiveruene*'  (»f  the 
(ireeidiilid  shores  jihove  the  7Slh  JKirullel.  It  also  in- 
ehided  the  (hscovery  of  MelviUe  Land  and  Heilprin  Land, 
an<l  the  aceuniuhition  of  most  vuhiahle  scientitie  data, 
besides  laying  the  foundation  for  Peary's  compreliensive  study 
of  the  (Ireenland  Hiji;hhiM(U'rs,  or  native  Eskimo. 

Immediately  upon  his  return  to  the  Tnited  States,  Peary 
devoted  his  energies  to  a  lecture  tour  from  which  he  hoped 
to  derive  the  necessary  funds  to  promote  a  more  extendetl 
exi)loration  of  Northeast  (Ireenlainl. 

Ciranted  three  years'  leave  of  absence  by  the  lion.  H.  F. 
Tracy,  Secretary  of  the  Xavy,  the  North  ( Ireenland  exj)e(;i- 
tion  of  IS«)3  bSOi  sailed  in  the  Falnm,  June,  IN'.K}  and  entered 
the  mouth  of  Bowdoin  Bay,  in  luKh'licld  (lulf,  August  :\. 

Here  a  house  was  rai)idly  constructed,  stores  laiidwl,  the 
Falcnn  makiuf?  a  brief  trip  after  the  winter  supjjly  of  meat, 
with  a  stoi)at  Life-Boat  Cove,  where  a  visit  was  made  to  the 
site  of  Polaris  IIous<'.  .\  few  relics  \vere  jjlcktHl  up  bearing 
the  stamj)  of  the  United  States  Navy-yard  at  Washington, 
dated  IStio  to  1S70.  The  20th  of  August,  after  her  return 
to  the  station  at  Bowd')in  Bay,  the  Fdlcnn  steamed  south,  leav- 
ing the  little  group  of  fourteen  persons,  inchidiiiR,  among 
others,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peary.  Mr.  Samuel  J.  Entrikin.  Eivind 
Astrup,  Dr.  Edward  E.  Vincent,  Mr.  E.  B.  Baldwin,  Mrs. 
Susan  J.  Cross,  and  the  coloured  man,  Matthew  Ilenson. 

On  September  12,  in  this  far-away  land,  the  famous 
"snow  baby"  was  l)orn.  little  blue-eyed  Marie  Ahnighito 
Peary,  and  "bundled  deep  in  soft,  warm  Arctic  furs,  and 
wrapped  in  the  Stars  and  Stripes." 

In  early  Mai-ch,  1804,  the  last  preparations  were  completed 
for  a  second  twelve-huudred-mile  journey  across  the  Creon- 
land    Ice-cap.      On   the  0th  of  the  month,  accompanied  by 


400 


THE  a  HEAT  wuite  Nonni 


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oiRht  men,  twelve  sledges,  and  ninety-two  dogs,  Peary  as- 
cended the  Inland  Ice.     The  advance  of  such  a  caravan  was 
slow  and  heavy.     The  dogs  of  the  various  teams,  being  unac- 
customed to  one  another,  were  constantly  fighting  ;  the  pene- 
trating cold  nii^ped  with  frost-bites  the  hands  and  feet  of  his 
men,  so  that  aft(>r  an  advarice  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-four 
milcK,  at  an  elevation  of  five  thousand  five  hundred  feet, 
Peary  determined  at   the   end    of    thirteen  days   to  cache 
surplus  stores,  send  back  the  majority  of  his  men,  and  pro- 
ceed with  three  men  alone.     But  the  conditions  of  cold  and 
storms  were  too  adverse  for  human  endurance,  the  thermom- 
eter reaching  as  low  as  -  G0°.     The  dogs  were  reduced  to  a 
most   pitiable   condition,   many   dying  from  exposure.      On 
April    10,   having   advancetl   only  about    eighty-five   miles, 
Peary  decided  it  was  inadvisable  to  attempt  to  proceed  and 
prepared  for  liis  return  to  Bowdoin  Bay. 

Abandoning  and  caching  all  unnecessary  impedimenta, 
with  only  twenty-six  dogs  remaining  out  of  the  original  num- 
ber, the  party  reached  the  station  in  a  much  enfeebled  and 

reduced  state. 

Though  temporarily  defeated  in  the  mam  object  of  lus 
enterprise  Peary  had  gleaned  much  information  concernmg 
the  famous  "  Iron  Mountain  "  of  Melville  Bay,  first  mentioned 
by  Captain  Ross  in  1 81 8,  and  as  part  of  the  programme  he  had 
laid  down  for  himself,  a  visit  to  that  interestmg  spot  was 
imdertaken.  On  May  27,  1894.  Peary  located  this  remark- 
iil)le  meteorite,  leaving  a  cairn  \\'ith  records  at  a  short  distance 

from  the  rpot.  .  ,     ,    i 

In  the  meantime,  Astrup  had  made  a  successful  sledge 
journey  and  reconnoissancc  of  Melville  Bay,  and  carefully 
charting  much  of  its  hitherto  little-known  northeastern  shore. 
The  last  of  July,  the  Falcon,  with  a  iwrty  of  scientists 
aboard,  including,  among  others.  Professor  T.  C.  C'hamberlin, 
Professor  Wm.  Libbey,  Jr.,  H.  L.  Bridgman,  and  Mrs.  Peary  s 


I 


Cniiilon  iif  F.  .1.  Stiihix  Cdniiiini)/ 
C.MHN    FMUXTKI)    OVKU   TIIK    HoDV    OF    M\KM.\ 


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brother,  Emil  Diobitsch,  anchored  in  MX'orniick  Bay. 
After  a  sojourn  in  northern  wati-rs,  it  returned  to  the  United 
States,  earr\ing  on  board  the  entire  Peary  party,  witli  the 
exception  of  t!ie  indoinital)le  leaiU-r  and  two  companions,  Lee 
and  Henson.  Peary's  resources  were  limited;  food  and  fuel 
were  re(hiced  so  as  to  menace  future  activities,  and  the  visit 
of  a  rehef  shi])  in  the  sununer  of  ISOo  (h'pende<l  practically 
ui)on  Mrs.  Peary's  sole  exertions.  Nevertheless,  Peary  deter- 
mined to  remain,  and,  innnediately  enlisting  the  natives  to 
assist  him,  he  drew  on  the  country  for  his  supplies. 

The  fall  was  occupied  in  the  chase  after  reindeer  and  Arctic 
hare  for  human  food,  and  walrus  meat  for  the  dogs;  and 
later  an  examination  and  rehabilitation  of  the  nearer  caches 
of  provisions  left  on  the  Inland  Ice. 

The  monotonous  winter  passed,  and  as  the  spring  advanced 
the  lay  of  departure  api)roached  for  the  next  great  journey 
across  the  (Ireenland  ice.  On  April  2,  189'),  the  little  band, 
consisting  of  its  intrepid  leader,  with  Lee  and  Henson,  four 
natives,  and  the  six  sledges  with  their  dog  teams,  started 
northward. 

The  fierce  storms  of  winter  had  obliterated  the  marked 
caclx  -;  in  vain  was  the  innnediate  neighbourhood  scoured  in 
every  direction,  sometimes  to  a  distance  of  five  miles ;  no 
signs  of  the  looked-for  depots  could  \)v  discovered. 

Though  Eskimos  desert eil  and  turned  back,  Peary  still 
pushed  on,  at  last  left  with  only  the  two  companions,  some 
forty  dogs  and  three  sledges.  The  pros])ect  was  indeed  dis- 
mal. Lee  became  disabled  by  frost-bites;  the  dogs  died;  the 
gaunt  form  of  starvation  loomed  on  the  horizon.  ^lay  8, 
Lee  could  proceed  no  farther,  and  was  left  in  camp,  distant 
some  sixteen  miles  from  the  coast,  while  Peary  and  Kenson 
advanced  in  the  desperate  search  for  game.  Four  days  and 
nights  death  by  starvation  faced  them,  in  th(>  fruitless  search 
for  fooil.     Then,  (.lisai)iK)inted,  back  to  camp,  and  a  desperate 


Coiirhsi/  (if  F.  A.  Sidkfs  ('titii/i'iii;/ 
("ami-  Mohhis  .Iksip 


r  ! 


SrMMKlt    VOYAGES,    I8t><;-is:>; 


4G:i 


march  to  Iiulopcndeiicc  Hay.     Tlicn  down  the  tortuous  val- 
ley, across  rocks,  cohhlc,  and  l)«)uldcr,  the  men  pluujJicd  on. 
"A  few  nules  beyond  the  valley,  1  saw  a  fresh  hare  track," 
says  Teary,  "and  a  few  hundred  yards  beyond  came  upon  the 
hare  itself,  sciuattin}?  among  the  rocks  a  few  paces  distant. 
With  the  sight  of  the  beautiful  spotless  litth>  animal,  tlu'  feel- 
ing of  emptint'ss  in  the  region  of  my  stomach  increased.      I 
calletl  to  Matt,  who  was  some  little  distance  back,  to  stop  the 
dogs  and  come  up  with  his  ritle.     He  was  so  affected  by  the 
prospect  of  a  good  supper,  his  first  and  second  bullets  missed 
the  mark,  but  at  the  third  the  white  object  collapsed  into  a 
shapeless  mass,  and  on  the  instant  gaunt  hunger  leapt  upon 
us  like  a  wolf  upon  its  prey.  ...     It  was  the  first  full  meal 
we  had  had  since  the  Eskimos  left  us  thirty-five  days  ago." 

Later  nuisk-ox  fell  to  the  hunter's  aim,  which  restored 
courage  and  strength  to  the  desperate  men.  They  reached 
the  cairn  which  Peary  had  erected  in  1892,  and  found  the 
papers  there  still  intact.  To  linger  in  the  vicinity  meant  a 
constant  consumption  of  food  for  which  they  were  not  pre- 
pared. There  was  yet  the  long  journey  back  over  the  dread 
ice-cap,  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  W  ith 
nine  dogs,  and  food  for  seventeen  days  only,  they  retraced 
their  steps,  fleeing  in  forced  marches,  from  that  ever  present 
gaunt  form.  Starvation,  closing  upon  their  wake. 

One  by  one  the  faithful  dogs  died  by  the  wayside.  This 
retreat  over  the  Great  Ice  is  one  of  the  most  desperate 
struggles  in  Arctic  history.  At  last,  June  25,  the  three 
starving,  exhausted  men  reached  Rowdoin  Bay.  "At  the 
beginning  of  the  last  day  there  were  left  four  biscuits,  saved 
from  the  half  and  quarter  rations  of  the  preceding  weeks ; 
and  one  dog  was  still  alive,  the  sole  survivor  of  a  pack  of 

fortv-two." 

"Poor  l)rute!"  says  Peary,  "the  memory  of  those  famme 
days  upon  the  '  Great  Ice'  remained  so  vividly  with  him,  that 


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for  wc'oks  uftcr  our  return,  thouRh  weak  and  afflicted  like 
ourselves,  fie  niiglit  he  seen  at  any  time,  when  not  asleep, 
hidinf?  away  every  hit  of  meat  or  hlul)i)er,  and  every  l)one 
that  he  eould  find  al)out  the;  place." 

A  few  weeks  of  recuperation  fitted  the  men  for  the  journey 
home,  and  reli<'f  shi))  Kite,  in  charge  of  Captain  liartlett, 
reached  them  in  early  Aufj;ust. 

In  1890  and  1897,  Peary  made  two  summer  voyages  to  the 
Arctic  for  the  i)urpose  of  transferring  to  the  United  States  the 
largest  of  the  three  Cape  York  meteorites.  On  the  first  trip 
he  was  successful  in  dislodging  this  ninety-ton  mass  from  the 
ice  gri])  of  centuries,  hut  was  comix'lled  to  leave  it  until  the 
next  season,  when  lie  successfully  had  it  transferred  to  the 
hold  of  the  Hope,  the  Peary  ship  of  that  year,  and  the  world 
wonder  now  reposes  in  the  Museum  of  Natural  History,  New 
York  City. 

During  these  active  years  Peary  had  made  warm  friends, 
men  who  had  said  to  him  with  the  snuw  confidence  expressed 
hy  Theodore  Roosevelt,  *'I  helieve  in  you,  Peary,"  and  the 
Peary  Arctic  Cluh  was  formed,  headed  hy  that  generous 
henefactor,  Morris  K.  Jesup,  as  President,  Frederick  E.  Hyde, 
Vice-President,  Henry  W.  Cannon,  Treasurer,  and  Herhert 
L.  Britlgman,  Secretary,  and  others  to  leixd  encouragement 
and  financial  aid. 

Peary's  amhitions  liad  not  heen  satisfied  hy  his  brilliant 
achievements  in  twice  crossing  the  Greenland  ice-cap,  and  the 
lure  of  the  Arctic  had  long  })eckone(l  him  to  try  to  reach  the 
northernmost  extremity  of  the  earth. 

His  journey  of  1898  to  1902  under  the  auspices  of  the  Peary 
Arctic  Cluh  hail  for  its  main  purpose  the  attainment  of  the 
Pole  itself.  His  carefully  laid  plan  was  to  advance  toward 
the  Pol(>  hy  the  west  coast  of  Greenland,  and  estahlish  food 
stations,  depending  upon  picked  Eskimos  for  cooi)eration 
with  his  small  party.     In  the  final  dash,  supporting  sledges 


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' .( 


I'KMiv  >h:iiiorsLy  nisAULKU  ur  Fitoar-niTEs    4«55 

would  hv  sent  l)ack  us  scnm  as  omptlcxl,  and  the  rcturninf? 
cxplonT,  with  two  companions,  w<*uld  l)e  met  by  a  relict  party 

of  Eskimos. 

Mr  Ilarmswoith  of  Londot.  Rcncrously  Rave  his  yacht,  the 
\V;,„hru-,l,  for   this   cxp.Hhtii,n.     IVary  started  with   every 
,,rospect  of  success.     The  Win,lward  endeavoured  to  for.-e  a 
n-issijr,.   into    Kenne<ly   Chaiuiel,   hut    was   ohhged   to   seek 
«helt,'r  and  winter  quarters  at  Cape  D'Orville.     In  early 
autunmal  journ..ys  Peary  determincl  the  continuity  of  Kilos- 
mere  and  Cirinnell  lauds,  and  prepared   to  make  his  head- 
(Miurters  at  Fort  Conger.     In  January,  1899,  came  a  sud<len 
and   most  .lishearteninj?   sot-back   to    his   ambitious  plans. 
While  on  this  dangerous  sledge  journey,  in  a  frightful  tem- 
perature that  ranged  between  51=  to  03°  below  .ero   ho  had 
both  f(H't  badly  frozen,  and  this  grave  injury,  which  nearly 
cost  him  his  life,  resulted  in  the  amputation  of  eight  toes; 
but  not  before    veeks  of  sutfering  ha.l   been  passed  m  the 
melancholv  winto,'  darkness  at  Groely's  old  quarters. 

"During  the  following  weeks,"  writ(>s  Peary,  "our  life 
Conger  was  pronouncedly  d  la  Robinson  Crusoe.  Searching 
for  things  in  the  unbroken  darkness  of  the  'Great  Night,'  with 
a  tiny  flicker  of  flame  in  a  saucer,  was  very  like  seeking  a 
needle  ina  haystack."  At  last,  on  the  18th  of  February,  mthe 
moonlight,  they  started  back  to  the  ship.  Lashed  firmly 
down,  with  feet  and  legs  wrapped  in  musk-ox  skin,  Peary  was 
drarged,  in  the  cokl  Arctic  night,  a  distance  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  in  eleven  days. 

Disheartening  weeks  of  inaction  and  suffering  aboard  the 
Windward,  but  partially  restored  his  health;  nevertheless, 
in  April,  while  still  on  crutches,  he  was  dragged  on  sledges 
to  Fort  Conger.  This  season  was  passed  in  scientific  work 
and  map  making.  WTiile  crossing  Ellesmere  Land  ice-cap 
in  July,  at  an  elevation  of  seven  thousand  feet,  Peary  dis- 
covered Cannon  Bay. 
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77//;  (iithAT   wniTE  yoirrii 


other  result-*  ol'  his  iiidcfutiKiililc  cmlfavdurs  were  the  nil- 
l('ctiii:j;  of  n-Hrs  di' the  I-iiily  I' laiikliii  l<:iy  fxpfditiciii,  which 
Wen'  sent  home  l».\  the  W'linhriinl,  tlic  sc.xtiiiit  iiiid  rccdnl  of 
the  Narcs  cxpcthtioii  wcic  also  found  and  sent  hack  to  ]n 
ptfscutcd  to  the  l,<»rds  of  the  Admiralty  of  (Inat  Firitaiti, 
and  placed  in  the  Museinn  of  tlio  Hoyal  Xaval  College  at 
(ireenwich. 

Kach  season  n  vossci  was  sent  to  CJreciiland  to  curry  him 
supplies,  and  hrinj;  hack  letters.  Small  j)arties  of  scientists, 
university  students,  and  hunters  fo(»k  advantage  of  the 
ojiixtrtunity  to  sail  north  and  he  left  at  various  points,  to  lu; 
calle<l  for  on  the  vessel's  ri-turn. 

In  1.S1M>,  Dr.  H..i)er(  Stein  of  th.>  Tnitt'd  States  ( leolonieal 
Survey,  Dr.  Leopold  Kann  of  Cornell,  and  Mr.  Samuel  Warm- 
liath  had  taken  jiassti^e  in  the  Peary  supply  ship  Diuna 
for  e\i)lorations  in  llllesmere  Land. 

In  the  fall  of  1S!I!),  the  Windininl  returned  to  tlio  I'tiited 
States,  leaviiifi;  Peary  in  Ktah,  where  he  remained  until  the 
following  March,  when  lie  journeyecl  to  Fort  Conner,  and 
from  there  made  his  northern  dash  in  an  attempt  to  reach  the 
Pole.  Tlie  cxjilorer  fttllowed  closely  the  rout(>  laid  down  l)y 
lirainard  and  Lockwood,  and,  on  May  8,  heat  their  record  ; 
'..•iter  he  reached  the  most  northern  i)oint  of  land  to  which  he 
pive  the  name  of  f'ajie  Morris  K.  .lesup,  83°  30'  N.  From 
♦his  point  his  travel  wius  over  the  disimeKrating  polar  pack, 
an  advance  of  "rid<j;es  of  heavy  ice  thrown  up  to  lieights  of 
twenty-five  to  fifty  feet,  crevasses  and  holes  masked  hy  snow, 
the  whole  intersected  In'  narrow  leads  of  open  water."  Hav- 
ing reached  83"  .>t'  X.,  he  then  returned  to  Cape  Morris  Jesup 
and  followed  the  coast  of  Melville  Land  for  some  distance, 
then  returned  south.  Tn  11(01,  he  attempted  am)thernorthern 
journey,  hut  found  advance  im{)()ssil)le  after  reaching  Lincoln 
Bay. 

ruduuiited  l>v  failurfs  his  next  attempt  was  made  in  Fobru- 


I'OLAII    KM'HniTloS    7.V    >.  s.    "  lii)<>sK\ m.T 


1»J7 


jiry,  1!M)2.  :m<l  n';irlic<l,  April  21.  SP  17'  N..  >iit  auiiiii  In-  \v;i.h 
forced  l)iick,  after  riskiiiK  liis  own  life  Jind  tli;it  of  his  roiii- 
pjinioiis  over  the  worst  ice  he  had  (-ver  encountered.  Mo- 
mentarily discouraged,  he  wrote  at  this  time  :  •'{'he  jjame  is 
off.  My  dream  «»f  sixteen  years  is  ended.  I  liave  made  the 
Ix'st  fiKht  I  knew.  1  l)elieve  it  has  been  a  K«"»''  <">•'■  '^"<^ 
I  cannot  accomplish  the  im|M)ssil)le." 

After  four  year>  of  strenuous  e:i<Ieavour  in  the  face  of  the 
most  disheartening;  failure,  Peary  came  hack  to  the  liiited 
States,  took  courage  once  more,  renewed  the  losinj;  ti«ht,  and 
planned  his  seventh  voyage  into  the  .\rctic. 

Under  the  uusjhccs  of  the  I'eary  .Vrctic  Cluh.a  model  ship 
was  built  for  the  sole  purpose  (»f  a>-istinK  Peary  in  accom- 
])lishinK  the  work  npon  which  he  had  set  his  heart,  lavished 
his  fortune,  aiul  stal:       the  coniiilence  of  his  friends.     The 
result  was  the  l)uil<linf;    .'  the  Roosctrll,  the  most  mo<lern  of 
ice-fighters.     The  i)lans  for  the  '■''onsrirlt  allowed  a  length  of 
one  hundred  and  eif>;hty-four  by  thirty-five  feet   beuin  and 
sixteen  feet  draft,  h.aded.     She  was  provided  with  engines 
capable  of  develoi)inR  one  thousand  horse-i)ower  ;  she  carried 
a  linht  three-masted  schooner  ris.     Her  hull  was  especially 
designed  to  resist  the  terrific  pressure  of  the  ice-Hoes,  and  of 
such  shape  to  lift  easily  from  the  treacherous  ice  cradles  in 
which  she  was  expected  to  test  her  resisting;  (pialities.     In  this 
splendid   craft,   Peary  started   north   in   1!U)."):    and    boldly 
plouRhed  the  Ifnnscirit  farth(T  than  any  vessel  had  yet  perie- 
trated,  reachins  nearly  82°  'MY  north  latitude  on  the  north 
coast  of  Grant  Laud.     The  RonsnrJf  wintered  at  Cape  Sheri- 
(lan,  and  from  this  high  latitude  Peary  started  in  February, 
190(,,    for    th(>    Pole.     Everythins   seemed   favourable,    im- 
l>roved  equii)ment,  Eskimo  assistance,  well-laid  caches,  and 
Peary  himself  full  of  the  eternal  vigour,  which,  in  spite  of 
years  of  hardship,  gave  to  his  mind  and  body  the  elasticity 
of  youth. 


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r/ZE    GREAT    WHITE    NORTH 


Qn  —  across  tho  iiiti>nniiiuble  obstacles  —  on  —  past  one 
desrco  and  then  another,  with  the  ever  pres(>nt  jirohlem  of 
cold,  storm,  rouj2;h  ice,  and  diminishing  food,  until  finally  the 
forces  of  nature  baffled  once  aj2;ain  the  forces  of  human 
strength.  At  87°  ()',  the  uncompromisinf?  voices  of  the  North 
cried  out,  "This  far  shalt  thou  come,  and  no  farther."  Back 
once  more  —  ste])  l)y  step  —  over  hummock,  crevasse,  and  floe, 
over  thin  and  treacherous  ice,  across  the  big  lead  whose  thin, 
undulatins  surface,  some  two  miles  in  width,  barely  supported 
the  weight  of  a  man,  in  his  frantic  race  with  death. 

Back  once  more  to  the  south,  liafHed  once  mon;  in  his 
schemes,  but  sterner  than  ever  in  the  purpose  to  die  or  win 
"because  the  thing  h(>  has  s(>t  himself  to  do  is  a  part  of  his 
being."  Peary  returned  to  the  I'nited  States,  the  pla...' 
of  liis  eighth  and  final  journey  already  maturing  in  his 
mind. 

The  Roosevelt  was  docked  for  the  purpose*  of  repairs. 
Funds  for  this  last  journey  were  slow  in  forthcoming.  Every 
expedient  was  tried,  Init,  though  a  suf)stantial  sum  was  raised, 
there  still  lacked  money  to  conijilete  the  work,  provision  and 
equip  the  expedition,  and  to  pay  the  current  expenses  of  the 
trip.  In  the  midst  of  thes;;  perplexing  problems,  Peary 
received  another  blow  in  tho  news  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Morris 
K.  Jesuj),  his  most  liberal  supporter.  With  his  death  all 
seemed  lost;  the  dark(>st  hour  of  discouragement  had  come; 
delays  of  months  meant  perhaps  the  delay  of  years,  or,  pos- 
sibly, the  entire  al)andonment  of  this  last  voyage  —  the  voy- 
age of  the  forlorn  hope.  Proverbially  the  darkest  hour  is 
just  before  dawn,  and  the  Peary  Arctic  Club,  under  its  new 
president,  (".(Mieral  Thomas  H.  Hubbard,  received  a  liberal 
check,  tend(>red  by  Mr.  Zenas  ("lane,  the  paper  manufacturer 
of  Massachusetts,  which  suddenly  rent  asunder  the  sombre 
clouds  and  showed  once  more  their  silver  lining. 

Relieved  of  the  mental  anxiety  which  had  been  his  constant 


Ciipi/rinlil.   I!"l.').  hi,  RuU.rt  A'.  I'.uni  (■•ipi/riiihl.   I'.Hi'.t,  I,,,  Ii,„jiiii,iii  li-  I/oinjiIuh 

'['in:  I'l.M.    Tiivr  I'kakv  c  \i!Uiki>   to   iiik   I'iu.i: 

Pi, ■(■!■>  cut  fidiii  it-  I'olil- inaik  mII  tlir  "  I'aithi-t  "  Nmllnrii  I'oinl-.  f  \Ui-  \\.-t,rii 
Ilciiii-|ili<''' :  1  ;""'  -  "■'■''■  ''"  ■'•  *'''!"'  ^'"'■l^~  .li-up  :  :i  :it  Ciip.-  ■i'lmiiMi- 
Hiilil.Miii:    I  Mt  (^ipcCilmiiliia:  .".at  T.-aiyV  Kaitlir-t  Nortli,  lIMiiHsT    i,  i.  aii.l 

C.  at    the   Niiltll    l'i)lr. 


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FINAL    LASH    FOR    THE    POLE,    1!>0S 


409 


compiinioii  for  months,  Pciiry  now  hurried  his  final  prepara- 
tions, and.  rejoicing  in  his  mood  fortune,  steamed  out  of  New 
York  hari)our,  July  (i,  1!)()S,  in  tlie  j^iUhint  Jioo.sevcK,  with 
her  penauts  flyinj?  l)ravely  to  tlie  l)reeze.  Peary,  now  grow, 
old  in  Arctic  service,  sailed  to  the  (ireat  White  North,  this 
time  to  reach  his  jroal. 


—       NORTH  *POLE  


Courtesy  of  Bvnjawin  li.  Hampton  and  F.  A.  Stokes  Co. 
The  Route  taken  uy  Commander  Peaky  in  1908 


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("IIAPTER  XXIV 

Dr.  lM-((l(iii'k  A.  Cook.  -  <  laims  discovery  of  tlu  Pole.  —Tlisrotuni 
iVoiii  the  Arctii".  --- RcccijIU)!!  hy  tin-  Danes.  —  AimouiuH'UU'Ut  of 
comiuest  of  tlie  Pole  l)y  Peary.  —  Denounees  Dr.  Cook. -Delay 
of  Dr.  Cook  to  i)r()iivice  liis  data.  Aceepiaiiee  of  Peary's 
claims  l.v  the  American  (ieojiraphical  Society.  -  Dr.  Cook  finally 
sends  mamiscript  to  Copenhagen.  -Wrilict.  Prior  claim  to  the 
di.M'overy  of  the  North  Pole.  —  Not  proven. 

Thk  aiiiioiiiiccincnt  in  tho  Xew  York  Ilcrahl  on  Soptoml)or 
1,  l",t()9,  of  the  discovery  of  the  North  Pole  by  Dr.  Frederick 
A.  Cook,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  astounded  the  civilized 
world.  For  some  years  Dr.  ( 'ook's  name  had  been  associated 
with  Arctic  enter])riso,  hut  to  the  majority  of  the  public  his 
name  was  strantic 

In  the  .s\nnm(>r  of  1907,  ("ook  had  accompanied  Mr.  John 
H.  liradley  in  tliat  o;cutleman's  yacht  in  a  i  excursion  after 
biii  Kanie  beyond  the  Arctic  ("ircl(>  Later  Mr.  Bradley  sailed 
home,  leaviiii!;  Cook  with  a  fair  supply  of  provisions  and 
('(piiiMnent.  and  one  white  companion,  a  CJernuin-American 
named  Francke. 

On  March  S,  19()S,  Cook  lef*  Annooktok.  accompanied  by 
eleven  men  and  one  lumdred  and  three  do^s,  with  the  avowed 
puriM.se  of  reachinu;  the  Pole.  Francke  remained  at  Annook- 
tok. with  instru'-tions  to  "ettim  to  the  United  States  in  case 
Cook  did  not  retin'n  by  Jtme.  1908. 

News  of  Cook's  departur(>  for  the  North  Pole  had  mean- 
while aroused   interest   in   the   United   States.     One  of  iht 


nis   n  Kir  UN  fhom  tiik  aiktu- 


171 


objects  of  ("oininaiidcr  Peary's  VxiHMlitiou  of  1908  was  "Tlio 
Relief  uiul  Reseue  of  Dr.  Fredeiiek  A.  ("ook."  The  l>i« 
Mipplv  stiitiou  at  Ktali  was,  in  fact,  established  by  him  mainly 
for  the  biMieiit  of  Dr.  Cook.  When  the  Uonsnrlt  and  Krik 
arrived  at  Aunooktok  on  Au<vust  7,  1008,  Fraiicke  was  nnmd 
ill  a])itiable  condition,  and  he  be-^<>;ed  to  be  sent  "home."  Ho 
was  returned  in  the  Erik  (commanded  by  ('ai)tain  Bartlet1\ 
and  from  St.  .fohn's,  Xewfouudland,  sent  out  the  news  that 
Cook  had  probably  i)erished  on  his  way  to  the  Pole. 

This  announcement  aroused  so  nnich  interest  that  early  \n 
August,  190!),  a  relief  ship  left  St.  John's  for  the  puri)ose  of 
searching  for  Dr.  Cook  and  for  carrying  in-ovisions  to  Peary. 
News  travels  slowly  "north  of  03,"  and  meanwhile  Cook  had 
n^turned. 

In  Ai)ril,  1000,  a  white  man  and  two  Kskimos  ai)peared  at 

the  relief  station  at  Amiooktok,  the  station  inmiediat<'ly  north 

of  Etah.     The  three  were  utterly  fatigued  and  were  mad(>  as 

comfortable    as    i)ossible    by    the    men    whom    Conunauder 

Peary  had  left  behind.     A  few  days  later  Cook  left  Aunooktok 

for  South  C.reenland,  whence  h(^  took  steamer  for  ( 'openhagen. 

Despatches  from  the  Shetland  Islands,  the  last  of  August, 

1000,    proclaimed    that    Dr.   Cook  had  reached  the  Pole  in 

April,  1908.     Cook  declanMl  his  route  to  have  been  by  Smith 

Sound,  across  Ellesm{>re  Land,  to  Xans(Mi  Sound  :    to  Land's 

End,  thence  by  Cape  Thomas  IIubbai<l,  which'  he  left  in 

March,  lOOS.tothe  Pole,  four  hundred  andsixty  miles  distant, 

which  he  claims  to  have  reached  on  April  21,  lOOS. 

The  familiar  story  of  his  welcome  at  Copetdiagen  needs  not 
to  be  retold  here.  Meanwhile  came  a  despatch  to  the  New 
York  Times :  — 

"I  have  the  Pole,  April  0.  Expect  arrive  Chateau  Ray, 
September  7.  Secure  control  wire  for  me  ther(>  and  arrange 
exi)edite  transmission  big  story.  u  j>,,^i{y," 


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r/ii:  rvA'^jr  white  yoiini 


At  Buttle  Hiirbor,  CoiiunuiKlcr  IViiry  li'uriuHl  of  Cook's 
claim  to  luivo  reached  the  Pole.  But  Pe:uy  luid  carried  north- 
ward a,  nuinher  of  E.-<kiinos,  with  their  wives  and  children, 
and  these  he  hud  le(l  safely  hack  aj;ain  to  Etah.  However, 
the  Cireenland  winter  was  approaching;,  and  he  lin:;ered  at 
Etah,  organizing  a  walrus  hunt  which  supplied  his  faithful 
company  with  food  for  the  coming  year.  Not  till  this 
provision  wu.-^  made  did  he  set  his  face  toward  the  I'nited 
States. 

A  shadow  of  doubt,  hardly  bigger  than  a  man's  hand,  which 
was  cast  by  a  part  of  the  scientific  world  at  th(>  Doctor's  first 
announcement,  soon  grew  into  what  <'ventually  proved  to  be 
a  cloudburst.  No  controversy  in  the  history  of  modern  times 
lias  caused  more  general  excitement.  Soon  th(;  two  prin- 
cipals were  ]Mirsuing  their  separate  activities  under  very  dis- 
similar conditions.  Dr.  Cook  was  lecturing  in  the  United 
States,  facing  packed  hous(>s,  interviewing  reporters,  assert- 
ing his  claims,  promising  proofs  of  his  assertions.  Peary 
preferred  to  present  his  own  claims  to  the  discovery  of  the 
Pole  in  terse  language,  the  first  announcement  published  in 
the  New  York  Timts  reading:  — 

''Summary  of  North  Polar  Expedition  of  the  Peary  Arctic 
Cluh:  The  steamer  Roosevelt  left  New  York  on  .Inly  0,  1908; 
left  Sidney  on  July  17;    arrived  at  Cape  York,  (Ireenland, 
August    1 ;   left  Etah.  Greenland,  August   8 ;   arrived  Cai)e 
Sheridan,   at   Grant  Land,  September  1 ;  wintered   at  Cape 
Sheridan.     The  sledge  expediti<m  left  the  Roosevelt  February 
15,  1909,  and  started  for  the  North.     Arrived   at  Cape  Co- 
lumbia, March  1;  passed  British  record,  March  2;  delayed  by 
open  wah'r,  March  2  and  3;  held  up  by  ojx'n  water,  March 
4  to  11  ;    crossed  the  81th  parallel,  March  11  ;  encountered 
oi)en    lead,    March    If);    crossed    Soth    parallel,    March    18; 
crossed  SOth  i)arallel  March  23  ;  encountered  open  lead  March 
23;    passed   Norwegian   record   March   23;     passed    Italiar 


COOK    SK.XDS    MANUSCRIPT    TO    COPENHAGEN     473 

record  M;irch  24;  oncoimtcrcd  <)i)eii  lead  Murcii  26; 
crossed  <S7th  parallel  March  27;  jiassed  American  record 
Alarcii  28 ;  encountered  open  lead  March  28 ;  held  up  by 
oj)eii  water  March  29 ;  crossed  S8th  parallel  April  2  ;  crossed 
8i>tli  parallel  April  4;  North  P<jle  April  6  All  returning 
left  North  I'ole  \\)r\\  7;  reached  Tape  ("olumliia  April  23; 
arriviiij;;  on  hoard  Roosevelt  April  27.  The  Roosevelt  left  Cape 
Sheridan  July  18;  passed  Cape  Sal)ine  August  8;  left  Cape 
York  August  2f) ;  arrived  at  Indian  Harbor  with  all  ineni1)ers 
of  the  expedition  returning  in  good  health,  excej)!  Professor 
Hoss  (I.  Marvin,  unfortunately  (I-,)wn(>d  A])ril  10,  when 
forty-five  miles  north  of  Capo  Columbia,  returning  from 
80°  north  latitude  in  command  of  the  supporting  party. 

"Robert  E.  Peary." 


Immediately  upon  his  return  to  the  United  States,  Peary 
joined  his  family  at  their  sunamer  homo  in  Maine,  offering 
to  submit  his  proofs  at  once  to  any  competent  Ixjdy.  The 
National  Cieograjihic  Society  accepting  the  offer,  pro- 
nounced favoural)ly  upon  his  claims.  In  the  meantime, 
he  took  no  active  part  in  th(;  trend  of  affairs,  but  waited 
quietly  for  the  dust  to  settle. 

In  November,  Dr.  Cook  cancolhxl  his  lecture  engagements, 
and  settled  down  to  preparing  the  long-delaj'od  proofs  to 
be  sul)mitted  as  promisetl  to  the  University  of  Copenhagen. 
This  accomplished,  he  despatched  a  ty])ewritten  copy  to  the 
University  of  Copenhagen,  Denmark.  After  caicfil  delibera- 
tion, the  University  of  Copenhagen  rendered  its  verdict  to 
tlu^  world,  which,  summarized  in  two  short  words,  left  the 
claim  of  Dr.  Frederick  A.  Cook  to  the  discovery  of  the  North 
Pole,  April  21,  1908,  Not  Proven. 


:.  I 


!,« 


<  i   i' 


i    , 


'I 


s 


474 


coycLi'sioy 


475 


A; 

^ 

"vT 

<^ 

V— V 

o 

■r. 


-J 
>5 


CONCLUSION 

For  three  and  twenty  years  Robert  Edwin  Peary  has 
knocked  vuhantly  at  the  portals  of  Inunortal  Fame  —  that 
Castle  Nowhere  —  whose  {^listenins  walls  of  eternal  ice  lie 
shimmering  in  the  brilliant  sun ;  whose  jewelled  towers  and 
minarets  catch  the  f!;lint  of  sparkling  rainbows. 

The  Gates  at  last  have  opened  and  the  baiuiuet  hall  is  set. 
Wild  Arctic  melodies  fall  grandly  ujMjn  the  ear.  The  can- 
nonade of  glaciers  thunders  a  salute.  About  the  festive 
board  stand  the  heroes  of  the  past,  according  to  their  prece- 
dence and  rank. 

Hail !  ye  Iva  Bardsen  !  Hail !  ye  early  Norsemen  and  ye 
Danes  !  There  stand  the  Cabots,  John  the  father,  Sebastian 
the  bold  son.  There  Sir  Willoughby  and  Chancellor;  and 
old  Sir  Humphrey  (iilliert  and  a  host  of  others.  There 
Barentz,  there  Behring,  —  there  Henry  Hudson  and  old 
Baffin.  Three  hearty  cheers  for  Von  Wrangell,  Ross  and 
Parry  and  brave  old  Sir  John  Franklin  !  Crozier  and  his 
men  line  at  attention  and  salute  ! 

Ah  !  Elisha  Kane,  the  beauty  of  a  noble  soul  lies  written 
in  a  gentle  face.  Francis  Ha'l,  thou  dreamer,  stau<l  forth 
and  welcome  the  arriving  guest.  C.erman,  Austrian,  Nor- 
wegian and  Italian,  stand  thou  behind  the  board,  lift  liigh 
the  diamond  chalice  and  quaff  the  limpid  draft  in  honour  of  the 
hero,  for  he  comes. 

In  one  voice,  douTi  the  ages  goes  the  cry,  ".4//  \muHc  to 
him  who  conqnera!''  and  Peary,  entering,  bows,  and  take«  his 
seat. 


Hi 

■I  t 

i 

.  > 


! 


1^ 


I:XPLA\ATIU.\  OF  THR.MS 

Bay-ice,  or  young  ice,  is  that  wliich  is  newly  fi)riiic(l  on  tlir  soa, 
and  consists  of  two  kinds,  coininon  hay-ice  and  ixmcnkt  ice;  the 
former  occurrinR  in  smooth,  extensive  sheets,  and  the  latter  in  small, 
circular  pieces,  with  raised  edjres. 

Beset  the  situation  of  a  ship  when  closely  surrounded  by  ice. 

A  bight  is  a  bay  in  the  outline  of  the  ice. 

Blink.  A  peculiur  brightness  of  the  atmosphere,  often  a.-suming 
an  archlike  form,  which  is  generally  per<-eptible  over  ice  or  land 
covere.l  with  snow.  The  blink  of  hmd,  as  well  as  that  ovit  lunjc 
quantities  of  icc^  is  usually  of  a  yellowish  cast. 

Bore.  The  operation  of  "  boring  "  through  loose  ice  consists  in 
entering  it  under  a  press  of  sail,  and  forcing  the  ship  through  by 
separating  the  masses. 

Brash-icf;  i.  still  smaller  than  drift-ice,  and  may  bo  considered 
as  the  wreck  of  other  kinds  of  ico. 

Cache.  Literally  a  hiding-place.  The  places  of  dej^sit  of  provi- 
sions in  Arctic  travel  are  so  called. 

A  calf  is  a  portion  of  ice  which  has  boon  depres.sod  by  the  same 
means  as  a  huiimiock  is  elevated.  It  is  kept  down  by  .some  larger 
mass,  from  Iieiieath  which  it  shows  itself  on  one  side. 

Drift-ice  consists  (jf  pieces  less  than  floes,  of  various  shapes  and 
magnituiles. 

Field-ice,  or  a  field  of  ic(>,  "  is  a  sheet  of  ice  so  extensive  that  its 
limits  caimot  be  flisceriied  from  the  masthead  of  tlie  ship." 

Fiord.     An  abrupt  opening  in  the  coa.stline,  admitting  the  sea. 

A  floe  is  similar  to  a  field,  but  smaller,  inasmuch  as  its  extent  can 
be  seen. 

Glacier.  A  mass  of  ice  derived  from  the  atmosphere,  sometimes 
abutting  on  the  .sea. 

Heavy  and  light  are  terms  attached  to  ice,  distinguishable  of  its 
thickness. 

A  hummock  is  a  protulx-rance  rai.sed  unon  anv  plane  of  ice  above 

477 


178 


am: AT  white  yourii 


:i      '• 


I     '      I 


the  roiniiioii  Icvil.  It  is  frcciucntly  prtMhiccd  l»y  pressure,  where 
one  |)irci'  is  >(|ii('('/.('(l  ti|)iiti  aiiotlier,  iit'tcii  set  upon  its  t'll^c,  and  in 
tliat  pdsitiiiti  eiMiifUtfd  liy  the  fro>t.  lluiiiMiucks  jire  likewise 
fortued  l)y  pieces  iif  iee  iiiutiially  eru.^hiri^  eaeli  other,  the  wreck 
Ix'iuK  lieaped  upon  one  or  l)oth  of  them.  'I'o  hiniuuoeks,  |)rinei- 
pally,  the  iee  is  iuih'hted  lor  its  \ariety  of  fanciful  shapes  and  its 
pictur<'s(|ue  appearance.  Tliey  occur  in  ureal  nunilicrs  in  heavy 
p.icks,  on  tile  educs,  and  ()cca>ionally  in  tlie  middle  of  Melds  and 
ilocs,  where  they  often  attain  the  height  of  thirty  fi'et  and  upwards. 

Ice-belt.  .\  continued  margin  of  ice.  which,  in  hiiih  northern 
latitudes,  adheres  t(j  the  coast  al>o\'e  the  ordinary  ie\-el  of  the  sea. 

Iceberg.  .V  lar<;e  ma.ss  ot  solid  iee,  j^enerally  of  ureal  iieight, 
lireadtli,  .•ind  thickness. 

Ice-foot.  Ill'  attached  to  the  land,  either  in  floes  or  in  heavy 
grounded  masses  lyinsi  near  tiie  shore. 

Ice-hook.     .\  ^i.iall  ice-anchor. 

.\  lane  or  vein  is  a  narrow  charniel  f)f  water  in  packs  oi  other 
Collections  of  ice. 

.\  lead  is  an  openinir,  larjie  or  small,  through  the  ice,  in  whieli  a 
vessel  can  lie  alile  to  make  some  progress  either  hy  sailing,  tracking, 
or  towing. 

Nipped.  The  situation  of  a  ship  when  foreihly  pio.sci.  >\  ice 
on  both  sides. 

Open-ice,  or  sailing-ice,  is  where  the  ])ieees  are  so  separated  as  to 
admit  of  a  ship  sailing  conveniently  among  them. 

.V  pack  is  a  body  of  drift-ice,  of  such  magnitude  that  its  extent 
is  not  discernilile.  .V  jxick  is  (»/«■«  when  the  pieces  of  ice  though 
v(>ry  near  each  other,  do  not  generally  touch,  or  chi.'nd  when  the 
pieces  ;ire  in  compl<'t(>  contact. 

A  patch  is  a  collection  of  drift  or  hay-ice  of  a  circular  or  polygonal 
form.  In  point  of  magnitude,  a  pack  corresponds  with  a  field,  and 
a  {)atch  with  a  floe. 

Pemmican.  Meat  cured,  pulverized,  and  mixed  with  fat,  contain- 
ing much  mitriment  in  ;i  small  compass. 

Rue-raddy.     A  shoulder-hilt  to  drag  by. 

Sconce  })ieccs  are  broken  floes  of  a  diameter  less  than  half  a  mile; 
and,  occasionally,  not  aliove  a  hundreil  or  a  few  hundred  feet. 


ESPLAXATlo.y  OF  TKIlMS 


470 


Slugde  PonHists  of  u  .stniturii  (if  ddiiclitMl  ice  crystals,  (.r  (»f  snow, 
or  (.f  tlw  smaller  fraKimiits  of  hr.i-h-icc,  floiitinjr  on  tlir  siirfucc  of 
the  sea. 

A  stream  is  an  ohlons  collrction  of  drift  or  liay-icc,  the  piccrs  of 
which  arc  continuous.  It  is  called  a  sni-sliitiin  whrn  it  is  exposed 
on  one  side  to  the  ocean,  and  alTords  wheltcr  from  the  sea  to  whatever 
is  within  it. 

Land-ice  consists  of  drift-ice  attached  to  the  shore;  or  drift-ice 
which,  l)y  heiiiK  covered  witii  nnid  or  gravel,  appears  to  have  re- 
cently i»een  in  contact  with  the  shore;  or  the  flat  ic(  resting;  on  the 
land,  not  having  the  api)earance  or  elevation  of  iceherns. 

Tide-hole.  A  well  sunk  in  the  ice  for  the  purpose  of  observinn 
tides. 

A  tongue  is  a  point  of  ice  projecting  nearly  horizontally  from  a 
part  that  is  under  water.  Siiijis  have  sometimes  run  aground  upon 
tongues  of  ice. 

Tracking.     Towing  ahdig  a  margin  of  ice. 

Water-sky.  A  dark  appearance  in  the  sky,  indicating  "clear 
water  "  in  that  direction,  and  forming  a  striking  contrast  with  the 
"  blink  "  over  land  or  ice. 


> 


I 


Is'DKX 


Ahnizzi,  Diiko  of,  thn,  425-430. 

AiliTiis,  Captain,  401. 

Ail'Miia;  voyauc  of.  10.').  lOS,  li:?; 
.sctoiul  voyanc  lUs  L'dd;  winters 
ill  Rciis.sciiiir  llaihour,  J02  ;  ahaii- 
(joiiniciit,  2JS. 

Ailiic>\  voyuKO  of,  10;{. 

Allxit.  Princo  of  Monaco,  422. 

.Mdrich,  Lieutenant,  fartliest,  ;52."i. 

.l/cr/,  voyasie  of,  :110;  hi'ih  nortliins, 
.'J14;  winters  at  Floe-berK  Beach, 
.■?  I  .")-:^24  :  rejoins  the  Dixcoci.ru, 
:i2(j. 

Aiexai,  .MO,  :r»i,  :?r)0. 

Ahxiindir,  voyam'  of,  150. 

\inl.ler.  Dr.  .J.  M.,  .•54(),  M\\  .V>2,  307. 

Ainiriai,  voyage  of,  430,  432,  433. 

Amundsen,  Anton,  410. 

Amundsen,  {'apt'""  Roalil,  success- 
ful navigation  of  Xortiiwost  Pu.s- 
saiie,  450  4.")  1. 

.\nderson,  .James,  1S.5. 

.\iidree,   ."^alamoii  August,   422-424. 

.\n(h('ief.  I^ieutenant,  .370. 

•Vndriz,  Chies,  17. 

.\ue(iuin,  34(). 

.\njo\i,  Liinitenant  P.  F  .  25. 

.\rcher.  Lieutenant,  surveys  Archer 
Fiord.  320. 

Arctic,  in  conmiand  of  Lieutenant 
Hartsteiu,  232. 

Assistance,  in  eonimand  of  Captain 
Ommaney,  lot,  10!t,  120;  in  com- 
mand of  Sir  Edward  Releher,  141, 
143,  17<»,   191. 

Astrui),  Ei\-ind,   457,   4.')0.   400. 

Austin,  Captain  H.  T..  104.  120.  122. 

Austro-Hunj?arian  <'xpedition,  280. 

Pack,  Captain  Ci.,  search  for  Ross, 
07  ;  explores  Great  Fish  River,  71 : 


H'lck's  farthest,   72;    second  voy- 
age, 73  ;    land  voyage  with  Frank- 
lin,  82,   85,   ,s7,   88 ;     second   land 
journey  with  Franklin,  'JO. 
Hade,  Captain,  424. 
Paffin,  21. 

Baldwin,  lA-elyn,  425,  430.  432,  450. 
BaUiwin-Ziegler  e.xpedition,  430  434. 
Balto,  the  Lapp,  403. 
Manman,  Lieutenant  Victor,  43o. 
Bardsen,  Iva,  2. 

Barnes.  Captain,  of  Sen  Breeze,  340. 
Barentz,     William,     three     voyages, 

13-17. 
Barnard,  Lieutenant,  murdered,  174. 
liiirritu  ./iniior,  !t3. 
Barry,  Cai)taiii.  342. 
Bartiett,  Captain,  410. 
Bauliiry,  Captain,  of  the  Helen  Mar, 

340. ' 
Bear,  398-400. 

Beumiont.    Lieutenant    L.    A.,    ex- 
plores Cireenland  coast,  320. 
Bxl/ord,  SO. 
Be.lie,    William    M.    Jr.,    379-380, 

.383. 
Beechey,    Captain,    in   command   of 

Bliintidm.  00. 
Behring,  21   24. 

Belcher,  Sir  F.dwanL  in  command  of 
search   exijodition,    141,    143,    148; 
directs   sleduing    parties,    174-177  ; 
desertion  of  tht'  ships,  179. 
Brlfiia.  4.30,  432. 
lit  III  ropliiiiii-,  80. 

Bellot,     Lieutenant,     Freneli     navy, 
123,     127,     129.     131      133,     130; 
d.athof.  100-172. 
BcMuler,  303. 

Bennett,  James  Gordon,  345. 
Berggren.  Dr.,  300. 


481 


482 


/.vD"r 


I 


i 


i'  'I 


J 

•a 


IJcsscls,  Dr.  I'mil,  accomiianirs  Pn- 
kiria  cxpcilitioii,  l',")4;  .-ilcdnf  jour- 
ney. -5tl. 

Hcvcrly,  S\irc('iiii,  ;V.'. 

Mirilcrbick,  •■)'•-'. 

Hilliiii;s,  ( 'a|>t:iiii.  -5. 

Uiriilj:i,    v.,   lis. 

Blind  Spi  riiiizd.  ill  coiiimiUKl  of  Sir 
HuKh  \Villoiii;lil>y,  .'). 

Build  Vciitiird.  in  coiiiniaiiil  of 
Itichanl  <  'hanrcllor,  ti. 

Hootliiu  I'l  lix,  t)7. 

Hoothia  rciiiiisiila,  cxamiiicil  by 
MTlinfork,  100. 

Bore,  Lieutenant  CJ.,  Royal  Italian 
navy,  .'iOl. 

Hradiey,  John  R..  470. 

Krainanl.  1>.  L..  'MA;  liiuhe.'it  nortii. 
:i7<i.  :<s.j.  ;i'.tl,  .v.n,  ;{i)(i. 

lUaskerml,  4:{'.»,  441. 

Uratteliil.  2. 

Hridtitnan,  II.  L.,  440,  400,  404. 

Hi'iti,>h  expedition  of  Is7,">,  ;no. 

Hrojvn,  Captain,  in  command  of  tlie 
Ihlighl,  11. 

MninsnelY,  4l'1. 

Huchan.  L".)  40. 

Buddinaton,  Captain  .S.  O.,  in  com- 
mand (idinjt  Ilinnj,  24.'{ ;  sailini; 
muster  of  I'ltbiri.i.  251;  wreck  of 
Puldris.  2.>0 ;  wintir.'^  Life  lioat 
Cove,  201. 

Bunw,  Dr.  A..  417. 

Burrout;li,  .■^tejilien.  0;  discovers 
strait  ieadint;  into  Kar.i  Sea  and 
winters  at  ( 'olomoijjro,  7. 

Butler,  Captain,  10. 

Cahot,  .John,  li    \. 

Cabot,  S(4)astian.  .'?-,"). 

Cagni,  Captain  Tmberto,  420 ;  high- 
est north.  12S. 

Cannon.  Henry  W..  404. 

Cape  Bounty,  discovered  by  Parry, 
42. 

V(irr(isi\  in  conimaml  of  Phipps,  27. 

("arisen,  Cai)tain  E.,  navigates  the 
Si'a  of  Kara,  20S. 

Cdti),  vo.\'as;e  of,  SO. 

Cator.  Lieutenant  f^lnlmande^,  of 
the  /.•.■.'.->  uid.  104. 


Clianiberlin,  Professor  T.  C.,  400. 
Chancellor,      Richard,     .3;       reaches 
Hay    of    .St.    Nicholas,    nndertaked 
ei.sit  to  Moscow,  0. 

Chandler,  Hon.  \V.  K.,  400. 

Chipp,  Lieutenant  C.  \V'.,  executive 
olHcer  of  the  .liiinndti,  .{ l.j,  :ilS; 
abandonment  of  Jidiitutli-,  :5.")1  ; 
assinned  to  second  cutter,  Ao'.i ; 
lo.st,  :i.')7. 

Christainsen.  Hans,  liskimo  inter- 
preter for  .second  (irinnell  ex- 
pedition, 200,  20N.  210,  21'.t,  22,s; 
aecomptmies  Piilari.-i  expedition, 
2,J4  ;  adrift  on  the  ice  floe,  200,  200. 

Christensen,  Eskimo.  :{7o,  'M'-i. 

Clavcrinsi.  Captain.  '>7. 

( 'offin.  Captain  Edwin,  4:!2.' 

<'ollins,  .Jerome  .1.,  :{40,  :{.')1  ;  death, 
:!0(). 

Collinson,  Captain  Richard,  in  com- 
mand of  Eiiti  rjir'nfi-,   10.'{. 

Colwell,  Lieutenant  .1.  C.,  ?,S\,  ;i,S4, 
;'.<).■),  400. 

Conway.  Sir  ^L^rtin.  421. 

Cook,  Captain,  2s. 

Cook.  Dr.  Frederick  \.,  4 ">7  ;  claimH 
discovery  of  the   Pole,   471-47^5. 

'     ii|)in(ier.  Dr.,  .'{20. 

( 'ortereals,  ( 'aspar,  Mijiuel,  Vasco,  7. 

Crane.  Z'Tias,  4GS. 

Crc-swell,  Lieutenant,  14S:  carries 
despatches  from  McClure  to  Eng- 
land, 149. 

"Crim.son  Cliffs,"  first  metitiont'd 
by  Captain  ,John  Ross,  M. 

"  C^roker  Moiuitains,"  :{2. 

Cross,  Mrs.  Su.san  .F.,  4,50. 

Crozier,  Captain  K.  R.   M.,   is?. 

Dalv,  Ch.irlcs  P.,  .'{:«. 

Daly,  ^L^ia.  .{:{.'). 

Dancnhower,    Lieutenant    John    W., 

:{40,  :uo,  .i^i,  ao4. 

Davis,  John,  three  voya«os,   13. 
Ddti'i,  bark,  .'ilO. 
Dawson,  Lieutenant,  .'570. 
Dease  and  Simpson,  73-75. 
Dedrick.  Dr.,  440. 

Ihlii.lht,  under  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert, 
10. 


INDEX 


483 


He  LoM>r.  LiiMitciiMif  ('.conio  \V.,  in  j 
ciiiimialKl  of  til      .liiitiiiittc  cxpcdi-  | 
tiuii,  ;{l">;    iiiw  .mil.-,  •'*.')»);    :il)aii-  j 
(ioiimciit  "f  the  ./i  (/«'«»(,  :{")!  ;    the  I 
retreat,  :5,"j-' ;    Hciiiirtt  Island,  '.Vt'-i  ; 
divides    i)art.v,    ;{."»:!:     niakiim    for 
the   Lena    delta,  ^'u  ;    lauds,  '.ioS  ; 
last  days,  MW. 
DeshnelT.  2-'. 
Diiuil,  J. 

Diehitsc'h,  I'.mil,  Ki-'. 
DietiiehsDii,  ().  ('.,  K):!,  400. 
Ditljis.  Sir  Dudley,  lit. 
Discuviri/,    in     coininaiKl     <>f     fleury 
Hudson.  I'.t;    Dismvcri/,  voyage  of, 
:U();     winters    at    Diseovery    Har- 
b()\ir,  :U4  ;  eoniniunieiites  with  the 
Ahrt.  '^24:  return  to  Knjilaud,  '^^2i>. 
Darolhtii.  voyaye  of,  :5.'{  4U. 
Dressier,  :ii',(). 
DutTy.  .Seaman,  4:M. 
Duni.ar,  William  M.,  ■MO,  3oO. 
Dijmphnd.  :>70.' 

Ed<hi^toiu\  1."). 

Ejrert.m,  Lieutenant,  .ll.j,  320,  320. 
Kinarsfjord,  2. 
Kkliolm,  370. 

Elison.  3SS  ,V.)0-303;    death,  400. 
Emorv,  Lieutenant,  3't'.t-400. 
EnUr prise,  in  eominand  of  Sir  .lames 
Clark  Ross,  '.(.■),  its;  under  Cuptaui 
Riehard  CoUinsou,  103,  KiO. 
Entrikin,  Samuel  ,L,  ■»,"/). 
Enhiis,    in    eommand    of    .'^ir    .John 

Franklin,  '.13  ;    last  seen,  04. 
Eriksen,  Mylius.  451. 
Esther.  33.J,  330,  342. 

Fairholme.  Lieutenant,  93. 

Falcon,  voyaiie  of,  4,')'.l,  400. 

Fili-c,  in  eommand  of  Captain  ,Iohn 

Ross,  104,  123. 
Fiala,  Anthony,  432-434. 
Fitzjamcs,  103. 

Forsyth,  Commander  Charles  C,  104. 
Fnrth.    eonvoy    for    Duchess    of    An- 

tioulenie.  Si. 
Fosheim.  411    143. 
Fdj-.  vo^'aue  of.  ISti, 
Fram,  Naiisen  s  voyaae  ni  the,  410- 


410;     four  years'   voyage   m   eom- 
numd  of  Otto  Sverdrup,  4-30  440. 
Frana.'i'kel,  422. 

Franklin,  ,Iohn,  20;  early  life,  70: 
Hrst  land  journey,  S2 ;  land 
journey  of  1S25,  01 -02;  Rovern- 
nielit  servic-e,  02  ;  last  journey  of 
Sir  .John  Franklin,  03;  traees  of 
lost  .ships,  110  IM;  reeord  of 
Franklin  ex|)edition,  100   103. 

Franklin,  Lady  .Jane,  02;  offers 
reward  for  assistance  to  her  hus- 
band, 102  ;  appeal  to  the  United 
States,  104. 

Iivderick,  3SS-,300,  .303. 

Frithiuf.  130    134. 

Froliisher,  Martin,  three    voyages,  S. 

Frozen  Strait  of  Middleton,  47. 

Fitrii,  voyane  of,  44  ,")0  ;     at)andoned, 

Gahriil.     in     command     of     Martin 

Froliisher.  S. 
Ciardiner,  302. 
Carliniiton,    Lieutenant    Iv    A..    3S1, 

.•iS4,  3S7. 
Cvorge       Unirn.       conveys       Churles 
Francis   Hall   to   Creeiiland,    IN): 
under  Captain  Huddintitou,  243. 

GeorKian  Islands,  later  called  Parry 
Lslands,  discovered,  43. 

C.erlache,  Captain,  430. 

German  expedition,  first,  20S ;  spc- 
on<'„  200;  beset,  270;  winters, 
278,  remarkable  journey  of  Lieu- 
tenant Payer,  2Sl. 

Germaniri.  in  command  of  Captain 
Koldeway,  l)eset,  279;  winters, 
2S1 ;  return,  2So. 

Gibson,  Langdon,  457. 

Gir.se,  Dr.,  370. 

Gilbert,  -Sir  Humphrey,  10-13. 

Gilder,  W.  H.,  .334,  ,340-344. 

(ijoa,  in  command  of  Captain  Roald 
.\numdsen,  450  454. 

GIndi'n,  eonvoy,  300. 

Golden  Hinde.  10. 

Good.sir    Dr..  103,  122. 

(Jore,  Graham,  101-104. 

Gore,  Prof<.ssor  .J.  H.,  422. 

Gortz,  300. 


ii 


t 

9 

m 
J 

I 


-I 
•I' 


LI! 


4S4 


TXDEX 


(irirly,  A.  \V.  fM.ijor  ("hikt.iI 
r.  S.A.I.  Lii'iitciiMht  in  I'omniainl 
(if  till'  I, ally  I'iMtikliii  )5iiy  ('ximmII- 
tion,  o71,  I'xploiatioiis  in  (Iriiiinll 
Land.  -i'T  :  first  f:iihirf  nf  nlirf 
sliip,  'i7'.i :  sci'Diiil  I'Miluri'  i)f  iiliif 
sliip,  ;{S'J :  al);iniliintn('nt  of  I'oit 
("ongiT,  ;<V">  ;  the  ri'trcat,  ^iMi; 
Capr  Saliinc,  cstaMi.slns  ('anip 
("lay.  -i^T  ;  licirrors  nf  tlii>  winter, 
;i,S()  ;<'.)_•;    saved.  :;<.l,". -HID. 

(Ircen.  sailor,  JO. 

(Iri'nliniil.  .\aeht,  in  eominand  of 
( 'aiitain   Kolde\ve.\-,  L'OS. 

Cirinnell  exi"'ditions.  fir.~t.  in  coin- 
tnand  of  l)e  Ilavei,,  Kl.".,  ll'.l;  sec- 
ond, in  eoniniaii'l  of  Dr.  Kane. 
\'M;  winters  in  HensschuT  Il.ir- 
honr.  L'0_' ;  -1.  di:in'.r  trips,  L'()7 ; 
cffeets  (jf  exhau-tion  and  eol<l.  21 1  : 
Dr.  Kane's  journe\. -il,-) ;  ijlnesr- of 
Dr.  Kane,  I'lit;  serond  winter  in 
the  iee,  L''_':i  ;  pri\afion  and  .suf- 
ferintrs,  L'L'.") :  aliamloinnetit  of 
Ailni'ir,.  _'.'S:  death  of  Olilsen. 
•-'_".•:    rescue.  J.iO. 

(IriniK'U.  Henry.   10."). 

Cirinnell  Land,  diseovenMl.  11.5. 

Grijur.  in  eominand  of  Parr,\',  11; 
in  conimand  of  ( 'lavcriim,  •1'^. 


'   Ha.ve<,  Dr.  L  L,  acrnmpanirs  ser' 
I        (Irinnell    expi-dition,    JVi.   -T.)  ;     ,i 
1        eominand  of  the  I' nitid  Slutii,  2'.i'> ; 
I        death     of     .'<oiinta«.     L'-'iCi ;      sledu'e 
I        joinney  to  "Open  Polar  St>a,"  23!» ; 

joiirni'y  in  /'iitithir,  "212. 
■   Hazen,  tieni  ral,  :<sO,  H.S4. 
!   Hcariie,     discovers     the     ("opijcniinj? 
I        ({ivcr,  L'S. 

Hi  I  Id.  in  eoinniaiid  of  rarr,\-,  41    oti. 

lleneniann,  l"r..  Captain,  in  I'oinniand 
of  the  /Iinifii.  "-'O'.l. 
'    H'ilM  lu.  Con.sul  .\xel,  4;{(1. 

lleilprin.  I'rofes.sor,  4'>>>. 

Ihltn  Mar.  whaler,  MV>. 

Henry,  :}!»"-',  ;5'.l'.). 

Henry  VII.  crants  patent  toCaliot.s,  .'i. 

Ilen.s'on.  Matthew.  I."i7.  4.V.K  W-i. 
i    Heplmrii,  .lohii.  M.  I2.'<. 

//,,-//-/,  voyan.-  of.  '.);5.  HO. 

Hohson.     Lientenant.    makes    searrh 
for  l"ranklin  nli.s,  IsC,  lit?. 

Hood,  Hohert.  M',  s4  ;    death,  S'.». 

//.;/",  4t;4. 

Hopp'"'"-  Liiiiteiiant,  .')L 

llorcaanl.   Lieutenant.  ;<04,  .'{70. 

Hnliharii,  (leneral   Thomas  H.,  4tiS. 

Hudson,    Henry,   t'arly   voyanes,    I'.l ; 
last  voyaue.  "_'0. 

Hvde,  Frederick  K.,  4()4, 


Haddiiitrtoii,  Lord,  <t2. 

Hall.  Charles  Francis,  early  life,  2i:i; 
first  trip  to  .\rctic,  discover>  l"ro- 
hisher  relics,  241  2.")."( ;  life  with 
llskiino,  2  Id;  journi'y  to  King 
William  Land,  2ls:  linds  reli.'s  of 
Franklin.  2.')1  ;  return  to  the  I'liitdl 
States.  2.""):!;  North  Polar  voyaue, 
2.")t,  death  of  Hall.  J'y'j. 

IldiiMi.  >econd  Cerinan  expedition, 
2(')'.> ;   wre.'k  of.  274. 

Hansen,  Helmer,  4.">0. 

Hansen,  Lieutenant  ("lodfred.  4.'">0, 
4.52. 

Harljer,  Lieutenant  (liles  1?.,  :5lil, 
:<f.S. 

Hartstein,  Lientenant,  sent  to  the 
relief  of  Dr.  Kane.  ■2.'?2-2:{4. 

]t.  H'ivct;,  Lieutenant  in  cuneiKuid 
of  fii>t  (Irinnell  expeilition.  10.5. 


Icy  Cape.  hea<lland    of    Ala.ska,  seen 

liy  liarentz.  Hi. 
Iron  Mountains,  4(10. 
Isnhd,  in  command  of  Captain  limle- 

tiehl,  K.  X..  M:{    147  :   in  command 

of  Mr.  Kell'iedx',   14N. 
Isiihil/ii,  under  Hoss  and  Parry,  M). 
Isach.^en,     Lieutenant     Iricrald,     4:'r>, 

4:V.»,  442. 
I.-!hj,,ni,   in    comiiiand   of   Lieutenant 

Weyrirecht,  2.^(1. 
Lsland    of     Cape     Breton,     seen     by 

("alxit.s.  .i. 
Ir-rael,  .•{',»2. 
Iverseii.  :{(")0. 

.lackman.  r'harles,  0. 
.lackson    I"rederick  ('•■,  416. 
.I.acksoii.  .1.   I'..  .'{(14. 
./iisiiii,  42o. 


ISDEX 


485 


Ldiik.  C'niituiii  Thoin.'iw,  JOS. 
Lciiu,  Srii:i.;iMt,  :{<.tl,  :{'.»»,  :{!»s,  100. 
Lmd    Willi  null, II,   ilud.soii   Hay  Com- 

paiiy  traili  T,  i't- 
Luwr,  Cliirf  luminctT,  U.  S.  N.,  MS. 
Luii-1.  Autn.  4."i(). 
L.\  nil.  :iv>  M'.H). 
L.voii.l.iriitcnaiit,  lt,4.s;  incommaud 

of  (ill  1)1  /',   •")'••. 

L.voii.-i,  .\(liiiiral,  -154. 
Lytzcii,  4{)'.t. 

Murhuniii,  .Mcxis,  423. 
Macki'Mzii',  2S. 

M'Cliiitock.    explores    coast    lino    of 
Hoothia     Peninsula,     100;     .sloflno 
journey  of  IH.'jI.  121  :   in  coniinaiui 
of  /•"')./•.  IM') :    finds  relies  of  Frank- 
lins exix'dition,  VM)   I'.ts. 
MeCluri',  roniniandiT,   103;    aerorn- 
|ili.-,lies     Nortliwest     Passage,     US- 
ItiS. 
McLeod.    employee    of    Hudson   Hay 
Company,     aeeompanies     Captain 
Hack,  OS. 
Maiiraard,  Christian,  4,50. 
.\f(irtiui.  reseues  the  Kane  part.v,  231. 
Markham.    (  ommander    .Mliert     II., 
second  in  eomniand  of  the  Pritish 
expedition    of     ls75,     311;     visits 
Lipl)oat  Cove.  313;   autumn  sledtie 
journey,  31.5  ;    Markham's  fartlie.st, 
321. 
Marvin,  Profes.ior  Ross  C!.,  473. 
Miilhnr.  voyatle  of,  3. 
Melville,   (•..■orue   W.    I  Hear  .\dmir:il 
liiite.l  States  \avy),   Knsiineer  of 
the  JnitiiKltv.  340,  .34S,  350;  aban- 
donmiiit  of  the  JainnrtU'.  3.51  ;    in 
eoiiunand     of     whale     hoat,     353; 
reaehes  mouth  of  Lena  Kiver,  35S  ; 
meets    nativ<s.    3.5!  t ;     Nindeniann 
and  N'oH'-.  302;    winter  search  for 
I)e  Lonu,  303  ;    spriim  search,  304  - 
;iOS;    to  the  relief  of  Cireely,  309- 
400. 
Melville,  Right  Hf)nourahlo  Viscount, 

_ _.         ,52. 

highest"' north,    370,    3M) ;    death.  ["Meta     Incognita."     <liseovered     I.,v 

IVoliisl.er,  S;    nientioiu-d  by  Hall, 
244. 


JdDiiii'llr.  in  cotumaiid  of  <  aptain  I)e 
Lonsi,  3  15  ;  liesit,  '■'•  17  ;  is  sunk,  351 ; 
relies  found,  HHl. 

.liiinnilti   exp<'ilition,  3l5-3t).S. 

,lens.  llskimo,  372. 

,)enseu,  Ilerr  Doni-'aaii,  4.51. 

.Jesup.  Mrirris  K.,  101. 

.lewell,  :V.).3. 

.Johannseii.  Captain,  eircunuiavinates 

Nova  Zeinbla,  20s. 
Johannesen,  Prederik,  410,  413,  415. 
JiKinitd,  3lti. 

Kamchatka,  22. 

Kane,  Dr.  l.lisha  Kent,  C.  S.  N.,  105; 
deseril'is  escape  from  \Vfllin«ton 
Ch.-.iwiel.  113;  new  lands,  115; 
death,  234. 

Kami,  Or.  I pold,   l(')0. 

Keemsdirk,  ,1; b,  10. 

Kellett.  Captain  Henry,  '.t5. 

Ki'lley.   Captain  of   the   liark   Duwn, 

Mil. 
Kennedy,    Captain    in    command    of 
J'riiicc  Mill  rl.  \2-i    120;   journey  to 
Fury  Heaeh,  13S  ;    di.scovers  Hellot 
Stniit,  1  10. 
Kim:  Alfred,  2. 
Kim:,  Dr.  Richard,  07.  72. 
Kill.  \(iva};es  of,  457,   I5s.  104. 
Kjellmaii,   P.  R.,  3(t4. 
Koldewey,    Captain    Karl,    in     com- 
mand of  (liriiKiniit.  200,  271,  2sl, 
2S4. 
Kolomie/.otT,  Lieutenant,  41s. 
Koltseliak,  Lieutenant,    lis  420. 

/,(((///   Fi'i'ikliii,  in   command  of  Mr. 

Pemiy.  103;    in  eonnnand  of  Injile- 

tield,'lls. 
Lady  Franklin  Hay  expedition,  371 

400. 
Lanford,    Captain,    in    command    of 

I'ol,  phiniua.  M). 
Lcrner,  Theodor,  424. 
Libbey.  Professor  William.  400. 
Linstrom,  .Vdolf,  4.50. 
Lockwood,    Lieutenant    ,1.    B.,    372 ; 


3o;{. 
Lok,  Mii-hael.  piitrou  of  Prubisher,  .s. 


4st; 


'r 


m 

'i   t 

^'4 


! 


il 


IM)E.V 


Mrscr,  Scrircuit  F.,  SimiMl  ('i>r|is, 
r.S.  A.,    with    I'lildris  cxpiilition, 

IIIMko   ICi-iikI.    \l7)t\. 

Mii-hdil.  ,-.ail>  In  ri)iii|i;i!i.\  with  the 
(inlinil,  iiiiclcr  I'oiniuatnl  of  IVo- 
lii  hrr,  s. 

Mil  harliiias  Ba\-,  so  named  hy  Hud- 
son. 111. 

Mihic,  '  'a|itaiti,   l.")l. 

Moliiiclh,  Dr.  AchilliC,  l.'ti,  I_'7,  l.'s. 

Moore,  (':i|itaiii.  in  comtnand  of 
l'l„r,r.  'X,. 

Moveineti's  of  ('a|ituili  .\u.stiir.s 
squadron  in  spriim  of  ls.")l.   IJl. 

Murdoek,  s.iilint;  master,  lirst  •  irin- 
nell  expedition.  lO.'). 

Muscovy  f'onipan\-.  estalilishecl  by 
inerehants  of  London.  4. 

Xahorst,  Dr.  A.  V,..  ■;_'_'.  4Jf. 

\iini !/  Dair.-<i>n.  '.Hi. 

Xansen.  F.,  -}()1  ;  lirst  erossititr  of 
(ireeiilatnl,  lO'J  4()s ;  plans  North 
I'olar  voyajie,  |i)it;  achift  in  the 
liaek.  Ill:  lea\-es  tile  Fiiiin,  llL'; 
highest  north,  W'.i:  the  retreat, 
414  :  winter  on  I'ranz  .loseph  Land. 
i\');     nieetinK   with  .laekson,   41(1, 

4-'"i,  va;. 

Nares,  Captain  (ieorce  S.,  in  I'om- 
mand  of  the  British  expeihtion 
of  ls7."),  .{1 1  :  \  isits  Lifeboat  ( 'ove. 
'.il'.i :  winters  I'ioe-berc  Beaeh, 
•{l.j ;  ort;aiii/.es  slediiinj;  parties. 
.{L'l  :  tothereliefof  Markham.  ;j_'l. 

Xdiillhis.  41. 

\<'lsoii,  hero  of  Trafalsiar,  L'7,  L'S. 

X./iiiuir.  .S7!i,  :is().  ;{S4. 

N'i'weomb,  R.aymond  L.,  ;{4('). 

.V,  )/■  }■«;•/,•  llrnihl.  Mr,.  ;j()4,  470. 

Xindemann,  S(-aiii;in  V.'ni.  F.  ('.,;54l'>, 
.{is.  .'i.')(l:  forced  march,  ;{(>(); 
meets  .Melville.  3(52;  assists  in 
search  for  Do  LoiiK.  -'{'H,  ;^H(»,  :{(is. 

Xnrdenskjcild,  Fiaron  A.  iv  von. 
first  vnyaire.  ."^pitzberiren.  2!l!t: 
sMbse(|uent  journeys,  .'{()() :  journey 
of  1n7.').  .'{02:  vovaiie  in  the  Viyii, 
;{04  ;{0S:    return  of  Wnd,  MM. 

.X'lrih  fi-<kjiil(l.  the.  .'171. 

Norman,  :{'.)7. 


Noros,  L.  P.,  .3.J0.  .'{01,  .■{(;_•,  '.iCA. 

North  Cape.  2. 

.\'i>,ifi   Slfir,   '.»!»;   wintiTs   in    Wol-teii- 

holme   .SoiincI,    lii:)    Kli;     attaclnd 

to  Sir  Ivlward  Melelier's  scpiadron, 

110,  144,  Hill,  17'.». 
Nova    ."^cotia,    .suppo.sed    to    be    land 

first  seen  by  (  'abots,  :i. 

OhUeii,  accomp.anies  sci-iind  (Iriniiell 
ex|>edition,  202.  201,  207,  2I.{,  210; 
death  of.  220. 

Ounnaney.  Captain,  in  command  of 
.1  s.v,.s//(/(,7 ,  101;  leaves  rceoni  at 
Caiie  Kiley,    1011. 

n,iL-li    Aitiim.  convoy,  ,•«)(), 

linn  II.   balloon.    122. 

Osboiiie,  .Sherard.  in  romnwmd  of 
Pii>niir.  104;  describes  examina- 
tion of  Meechey  Lsland,  finds  relics 
of  Knh.is  and  Tirrnr,  111. 

Other.  e.irl\-  ad\-enturer,  2. 

Otter.  Count  T.  W .  von,  in  cointnund 
of  Siifut.  200. 

I'alander.  Liiutenant.  .'500:  coni- 
niander  of  the  Vi:)<i,  .'104. 

I'alliser.  navij:ates  Sea  of  Kara,  2(is. 

J'duiloiii.  voyage  of.  .'{27-.'S;{0  ;  .second 
voyaue.  Xi-J  HM. 

I'aiker,  landed  provisions  for  Frank- 
lin at  Cape  Hay,  HY.i. 

Paw.  Lieuten.mt,  ;U"j,  :i2:i. 

Parry.  Lietitenant  \V.  K..  2!) :  second 
voyage.  41;  i)a.s.ses  110"  W.,  wins 
reward.  42:  discovers  Parry  Is- 
lands. 4.'{ ;  third  voyage,  44-51; 
North  Polar  voyaRc,  .52. 

Paulsen.  A..  ;i70. 

Pavy.  Dr.  D.,  ;{72 ;  sledfie  journey, 
27:5.  .{02,  .{03. 

Payer,  Lieutenant  ,Julius,  of  the 
second  (ierman  expedition,  journey 
of,  2S'{ ;  .\ustro-Huni;arian  expe- 
dition, 2S7  ;  sledge  journey,  201  ; 
farthest,  20();  return,  207. 

Peary,  Mrs..  4.'«7.  4.")0. 

Peary,  Robert  Ivlwin,  early  life,  4.5.5  ; 
first  journey,  4.50  ;  subsequent  jour- 
neys, 457:  exiilores  (irtMiiland  ice 
cap,     4>5.S ;      summary     of    .second 


I.XDEX 


48" 


I'cary  (rmitin  ittil) 
vd.Miuc.    4.V.>:     journey    of    ls!t:{, 
si'ciinil    joiinii'V    acidss    ('in(iil;iiii| 
ii-(>    cup,     ItiU ;     suiiiiiiir    \ii\uui's, 
4(14  ;   scciiri's  tlif  fainous  iiiftcorltc. 
4t>4  ;    (irst  atti'iup*   t<>  nacli   i'oli', 
4<'(4;     work    at    Fort    ('(iricir,    4r),"); 
rccoril  of   IMMt,    Itlfi;    rii-ord   I'.HI-'. 
tf'iT  ;    record  l!MI<i.  4(iS;    aiiiioiiiice- 
nieiit  of  discovery  of    '  c  I'oli  .  :71  ; 
snimiiary  of  tli<>  North  Polar  I'.xpe-  j 
ditioii  of  I'cary  Arcti"  Cluli.  47-'. 
Peary    Arctic    ('Inl,,     ItVl,    4t)7,    4(iS, 

472. 
I'eder,  4  12. 
Pi'iidiiluiii      I>laiiils,     discovered     by 

Claverim:,  L'MI. 
Peiiii.\-,     Captain,    of     wiialiim     ship 

A'irin.  UY.i. 
Pet,  Artiiur,  \-oyat:e  of,  0. 
Peternian,     Dr.     .\.,     iironiotes    first 

(Icriiian  expedition,  L'flS. 
Peters.  William  .(.,  4:52. 
Petersen,  310  ;    death,  ;{2(). 
Pliipps  expedition,  27-2.S. 
J'hanix,    in    coniinuml    of    Inslefield, 

14S. 
I'ini,  Lieutenant,  1(17. 
Piiimtr,     in     conunand     of    Sherard 

Oshorne,  141. 
Plm-ir,     in     conunand     of     f'apt.iiu 

Moore,  0"),  !l(),  14',t. 
PvUti-is.    under    Captain     II;  11,    2.")4  ; 
under    Captain    Huddinirton,   2.")(1; 
wreck  of,  2 j'.t ;    .separation  of  crew, 
2(11. 
P,il,  IiIhiii.is,  so. 
I'lilhi  III.    in    conunand   of   Lieutenant 

Palandcr,  :iUO. 
Porden.   .\iuie,  first  wife  of  Sir  ,Iohn 

Franklin,  SI,  «)(). 
Piirpiiixi,  SO. 

"Prima   Terra    Vesta,"    mainland   of 
Xorth      America,     .so     named     hy 
Cahots,  .{. 
Pririci-  .Mhirt.  in  ciMumand  of  Captain 
Forsyth,  104   lOd;    in  command  of 
Keiuiedy,  123,  140. 
Princr  of  Wali^.  trader,  4."),  S2,  •»4. 
Privy  Purse  exi>en.se.<  for  jjurcliase  of 
Newfoundland,  o. 


Proliii.i.  convevs  tlii'  Lad\-  I'r.inkliri 
Hay  expiilition  t,i  I'oit  ( Oni-'cr, 
371  ;  to  the  relief,  :!sl  ;  sunk,  :is4, 
.•{S7,  31)7. 

Piilli  II,  Lieutenant.  '.»(!. 

P.\  tlieas,  earl\  ad\inturer,  2. 

(,!ueen      i;iizal)eth's     Foreland,     di.s- 

covered  l>y  Froliishcr,  S. 
(Juerini.    1'.,  42(1,  42s. 

lidcihorsi .  in  conunand  of  Phipps,  27. 

Hae.  Dr.  .lolui.  overland  journey  .  7.")  - 
7s;  searcli  for  Franklin,  111;  tind.s 
traces.  Is  I. 

fiiifinrnliljiiil.  42  I. 

liiiiiihoir.  in  conunan<l  of  ."^ir  .lohn 
Franklin.  '.'2 

Halcitrh.  .Sir  Walter.  10. 

Hasmussen,  Knut,  4.')1. 

Riiilli .~iii(ik( ,  under  Commander  Trol- 
lope,  14S. 

Uavna.  the  Lapp,  403. 

Hawson,  Lieutenant,  31,5,  31s,  23,j, 
32(1. 

Ha\-,  Lieutenant,  370. 

H.d  ClilT  lIou.se,  4,")7. 

Keid,  122. 

RiliiDn.  in  conimaiifi  of  Lieutenant 
Ilartstein,  sent  to  relief  of  Dr. 
Kan(\  232. 

Risoliiti.  in  command  of  Cai)tain 
11.  T.  .\ustin.  101:  under  Captain 
Kellett,   111  :    story  of  the,   ISO. 

Ritriliiitum.  1S2. 

Rice,  SerKcant.  373,  3SS  ;    death,  3'.I3. 

Rink,  Dr.  IT..   H'.). 

Ristvedt,  4.".2. 

Robinson,  Lieutenant,  n'aches  Cress- 
well  Ray,  101,  130. 

R(i(jir--i.  burned,  3(iS. 

RoDsniIt.  4(17,  400. 

Roosevelt,  Theodore,  404. 

Ro.ss,  Caiitain  .John,  first  voyage,  2!)- 
32;  .second  voy  me,  01-07  ;  search 
for  Sir  .Ifihn  Franklin,  123. 

Ross,  .lame.s  Clark,  discovers  N'orth 
Macnetio   Pole,   03 ;     in   command 
of    Untirprine   and    Inrrsli/inlnr.    in 
search  for  Sir  .lohn  Franklin.  '.)."). 
Ryder,  Li   .itcnant,  V.',7. 


488 


INDEX 


•A  'S 


Saliiiio,    tMki"<   (i))S( mitions   r)ii    Pcn- 

(luliiiii  I-I:iii(is.  .')S. 
SailicuM',  .luliii.  L>kiiii(),  30. 
SI.  l;t,r.  L'l. 
Sitriin.   \\S    l.'l. 
Sili;il;ir(itT,  25. 
Srliri.    1  t.'. 

Scliiliiki).  Liiut('ii;iiit,  41.S. 

Schley,   Uiiifirld  .Sc.tt    (Ucar    Ailrni- 

ral.  United  States  Navy).  ,iSL',  .!'.»."», 

4110. 
Sclnietze.  W.  H.,  .'{(i  I  -.'{(is. 
Sclnvatka,  Lieutenant  I'reciiri<k.  land 

JDiirni'y.  :>.il;   finds  I'ranklin  relies, 

;«!»;   linds  .MClintoek  record,  .'i  10  ; 

till'  return.  ;U0. 
Sc(>re>hy,  .")". 
Scott-llansen,      Lieutenant      SiKuni, 

410. 
Ski    Uncr,     .American    whali?    I)ark, 

34(i. 
Siiirrli-llirift  ii'.  coniinand  of  Stei)hen 

Hurrou^li,  (i. 
Seclxrn,  \'1\. 
SheKlon,  Rohert,  !)(>. 
Sinnnons.  Herman  (icorc.  AM). 
Simpson  and  Deas(>,  7.'5-73. 
Slaradoiihzov.  Sawa,  L'4. 
Smeilen,  Dr..  870. 
Smith,  Lei«h,  .'JOL'. 
Snow,  \V.  P..  104,  100,  lOS. 
Sofia,  in  rommaml  of  Count   F.   \V. 

von    Otter,     2'.)!);    lii«h     northint;, 

300. 
"Somerset  House,"  (Vt. 
SonntaK,  200;   deatli,  2;5fi. 
Siipliiii,     in     command     of     Peun.\', 

10.'5. 
Spcckman,  Serjeant,  49. 
Sqiiirnl.  10    12. 
Stadlint;,  ,L,  424. 
Steen,  .\nsel.  S..  .370. 
Stein,  Dr.  Robert,  400. 
Slilln    I'liliiri,    in    command    of    tho 

Duke  of  the  .Miruzzi.  42()-4:^0. 
Stephenson,  <  leortie,  221). 
Stewart,  Marshall  J.,  122. 
StrindberK.  422. 
Sutherland,  Dr.,  122, 
iSvondscn,  Dr.  .Johan,  43S. 
Sveidruj),    OUo,    403-40S;     Captain 


of    the     Frrim.    410  412  ;     second 
vo\a(;e  it)  commaml  of  Fiiim,  43.">; 
sled«e     journey,     441,     443,    447, 
4I!». 
Sinilloir.  10   12. 

Tiil'iol.  170. 

'rihitsciianof.  .\dmiral,  attempts  to 
round  ,"-pit/.berueii  in  1704,  -.'>. 

'ruiitthiiff.  .Vustro-Hunnarian  expe- 
dition, 2N(i  _".t7,  3tiS. 

'/'■  rrn  Xani,  4.3  I. 

'l'(  n-(,r.  in  command  of  Captain  Hack, 
73;  in  command  of  Sir  ,lohn 
I'ranklin,  o:i. 

/.")■'/  W'l  IliiifilDii.  the,  trader,  4.'». 

77»7('.v,  voyatle  of,  .311.")  400. 

Thiirn,  403. 

Tinriss,  in  command  of  Captain 
Htirtlett.  200,  310. 

Toll,  Haron  L.  von,  417,  421. 

Torrell,  Otto,  tscoioirist,  21».s. 

'I'raim,  Kristian,  403. 

TrollojK',  Commander,  14S. 

Tschirikov,  Captain,  22. 

Tyson,  Captain  (ieorne,  2.1.5 ;  adrift 
on  ice-lloe,  202;    rescue,  200. 

Valorous.  311,  312. 

\'arna,  370. 

\('(>r,  (icrard  do,  10. 

\'<i/a.  voyajjeof,  ,303  3011,  340. 

\'erhoeiT,  .John  M..  4.J7. 

Virtarn,  in  command  of  Captain  John 

Hoss,  01  ;   abandoned,  01. 
Victio-ii,  1S3. 
Vikina.  402. 
Vincent,  Dr.  Iviward  E.,  450. 

Walter,  Dr.,  420. 

WardhuN  s,  ."). 

\\  armbath,  Samuel,  400. 

Waxall,  21. 

Wellman,  Walter.  424  425. 

We,\precht.  Lieutenant    Karl,  sails  in 

Ishjurn.  2H0 ;   in  command  of  .\iis- 

tro-Hutinarian      expedition,     2s7— 

207.  3GS. 
Wildes,     Commander     Frank,     3Sl, 

3H3. 
Wiiioughb.\-,  .Sir  iiugii,  5. 


INDEX 


489 


Winiiu-itrif.  4ir.,  jr,-,,  4r.r>. 

Woliltji'iiiutli,  Licutcniiiit.  :{7(). 
Wdlstciilioliiu'.  Sir  .loliii,  111. 
WraiitJi'll,  Adrtiinil  voii,  li")  27. 
Wiilfstun,  early  uil.viitiiri'r,  2. 

Yniilic,  voyilRC  of,  .'JH1-;1S4. 
Ymcr,  303. 


YounK.  .Mlon,  voyaRo  in  tho  For,  1S6  ; 
slc•<l^;l•  jiMinii'y,  IDS;  voyacc  in 
I'dndiint,  3J7  331  ;  sn'comJ  voyage 
in  I'diuliird,  332  334. 

Zcno,  Nici  olo,  S. 

Zif'hiiini.  S. 

Zii'Kl.T,  William,  430-432. 


/ 


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By  AGNES  C.  LAU  f 

Pathfinders  of  the  West 

BEING  THE  THRILLING  STORY  OF  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 
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